


































COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 




















SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF 
SABBATH AND SUNDAY 


A NEW INVESTIGATION AFTER THE MANNER 
AND METHODS OF MODERN SCIENCE, 
REVEALING THE TRUE ORIGIN 
AND EXACT NATURE OF 

THE JEWISH SABBATH 
AND THE LORD’S DAY 


FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASCERTAINING THEIR REAL 
SIGNIFICANCE AND PROPER OBSERVANCE 


BY THE 




REV. ROBERT JOHN FLOODY 

*• 


Master of Science (Albion Coll.), Bachelor of Sacred Theology 
(Boston Univ.), Member of the American Association 
for the Advancement of Science 



PUBLISHED BY 

CUPPLES & SCHOENHOF 

BOSTON, MASS. 



V^he’library of 
CONGRESS, 

Two Cor'itti ft ECEIVED 

NOV. 13 1901 

Copv RIGHT ENTRY 

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CLASS CL, XX c. No. 

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PEEFACE. 


This work had its origin in an article entitled 
The Seventh Day of Heathens, Hebrews, and 
Christians, presented to the New Testament His¬ 
tory Seminar of Boston University in the fall 
of 1895. The demands made upon the writer 
for a wider circulation, led to a more lengthy 
presentation of the subject until it reached its 
present form. It is mainly designed for the busy 
man in the shop, office, or study, who has neither 
the time nor the disposition, probably, to go into 
an exhaustive research on the subject, in order 
to furnish him with the fundamental conception 
and nature of the Seventh Day, so that he may 
clearly know the duties incumbent upon him for 
a faithful observance of the same. 

It will not be denied that the times call loudly 
for light on the Sunday question. The subject 
with a vast majority is evidently a perplexing 
one. One authority says the true Sabbath is on 



IV 


Preface . 


Saturday, another says it is on Sunday, and still a 
third says the Lord’s Day is not a Sabbath at all. 
At the same time scarcely two agree as to what 
is proper and what is improper on that day. 
Clergymen of ability have positively declined to 
preach on the theme, simply from a lack of 
reliable data upon which to establish theories 
that will stand the test of truth. No trustworthy 
criterion of the right and wrong uses of Sunday 
has been presented, and consequently our battle 
with Sunday desecration has been a gradual 
retreat. A good case in point is that of a New 
England city. A few years ago an effort was 
made to open the Public Library on Sunday, but 
the Christian Church, generally speaking, opposed 
it strongly. Finally the Library authorities won 
the battle and its doors were thrown open to the 
public. Now almost everyone concedes the pro¬ 
priety of the act. Then a call was made to open 
the Art Museum on the Lord’s Day which re¬ 
ceived a similar opposition. The good judg¬ 
ment of many influential citizens and others 
finally prevailed, and it was opened to visitors on 
that day. Later on, the city authorities pro¬ 
posed to furnish music in the public park to the 
people on Sunday afternoons in the summer 
months. This was also the signal for battle, and 


Preface . 


v 


many well-intentioned people opposed and de¬ 
nounced it, but the opposition was overcome and 
now the sweet strains of music cheer and inspire 
ten thousand weary toilers, who for a whole week 
have been shut up to the task of home and 
shop. 

This opposition of the Church was found to be 
a mistaken opposition, due to the want of a 
scientific standard by which to ascertain the right- 
ness or wrongness of Sunday conduct. Thus on 
account of the ignorance concerning the purpose, 
nature, and duties of the day, Sunday desecration 
has made great inroads, until in many places little 
or no regard is shown for the Sacred Day of the 
followers of Christ. 

Books and pamphlets have been published on 
the subject but almost invariably they have been 
presented from the standpoint of some sect or 
creed rather than from the standpoint of truth ; 
consequently imperfect and erroneous views have 
been the result. All matters of investigation 
must now be conducted on scientific principles. 
In the field of science there is no Catholic astron¬ 
omy or Protestant astronomy but simple scien¬ 
tific astronomy built upon undoubted facts and 
self-evident truths. In religious matters the 
same principles should prevail, and nothing but 


VI 


Preface . 


verified facts and demonstrated truths should be 
allowed to enter into the determination of con¬ 
clusions. 

The aim of the author has been simply to 
arrive at the truth. All preconceived opinions 
have been laid aside and facts sought after with 
a determination to follow where the truth led. 
The scientific method is the only one that will 
give satisfactory results and lead to sure footing 
on the foundation of truth. This method (1) 
carefully ascertains the facts of the phenomena 
and their order of succession, (2) finds out the 
cause and the laws under which it operates, (3) 
connects and co-relates this with other phonomena, 
thus showing its place in the great system of 
truth. A broader conception of this method of 
study would include (1) observation, (2) generali¬ 
zation, (3) inference, (4) verification. It will 
be noticed that all Biblical quotations are taken 
from the Revised Version, as that expresses a 
riper scholarship and a more perfect conformity 
to the ideas as they were first expressed by the 
author. 

Should the reader’s opinion differ from that 
contained in this work, all that is then desired 
is a further investigation and a more thorough 
search for the truth. If new light or truth comes 


Preface . 


vii 

from it, contrary to the thoughts expressed in 
these pages, it will be welcomed by no one greater 
than the author of this book, simply because it is 
truth. We are building up the great temple of 
truth which temple is of God. 

R. J. Floody. 

Boston, Mass. 

September, 1901. 
























•• 

. 



















* . 





t 








CONTENTS. 


PART I. 

THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE HEATHENS. 

CHAPTER I. page 

Traces of Sabbatic Observance among Pagan 

Peoples . 3 

CHAPTER II. 

The Origin of the Week and Holy Day among 

Primitive Peoples ..13 

CHAPTER III. 

Peoples Possessing a Sabbath Derived from the 

Moon.26 

CHAPTER IY. 

Nature and Development of the Heathen Sabbath, 40 


PART II. 

THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE HEBREWS. 
CHAPTER I. 

Relation of the Hebrews to Neighboring Tribes . 49 


IX 







X 


Contents, 


CHAPTER II. page 

Development of the Seventh Day of the Hebrews, 57 

CHAPTER III. 

The Sabbath in the Creation Story. 74 

CHAPTER IY. 


Transition from the Lunar Seventh Day to the 


Regular Seventh Day. 87 

CHAPTER V. 

Nature of the Jewish Sabbath .Ill 

CHAPTER VI. 

Duration of the Jewish Sabbath. 120 


PART III. 

THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE CHRISTIANS. 
CHAPTER I. 

References to the Lord’s Day in the New Testament, 125 
CHAPTER II. 

Testimony of Ante-nicene Fathers and Writers . 134 

CHAPTER III. 

Relation of the Lord’s Day to the Jewish Sabbath, 143 


CHAPTER IY. 

Relation of Christ to the Sabbath of the Jews . 155 

CHAPTER V. 

The Jewish Sabbath Abolished. 167 








Contents, 


xi 


CHAPTER VI. page 

The Commandments that are Binding on Christians, 189 

CHAPTER VII. 

The Moral Significance of the Laws of the 

Decalogues .198 

CHAPTER VIII. 

The Seventh-Part-of-Time Theory Examined . . . 215 

CHAPTER IX. 

Hature of the Lord’s Day.221 

CHAPTER X. 

The Authority of the Lord’s Day.235 

CHAPTER XI. 

Historical Development of the Lord’s Day . . . 245 

CHAPTER XII. 

The Test of Sunday Propriety.273 

CHAPTER XIII. 

The Application of the Test.277 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Right of the State to make Sunday Laws . . . 309 

CHAPTER XV. 

Appeal for Concerted Action.317 

CHAPTER XVI. 

The Ideal Lord’s Day .335 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Summary and Conclusion .339 










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PART I. 


THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE HEATHENS. 


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CHAPTER I. 

TRACES OF SABBATIC OBSERVANCE AMONG 
PAGAN PEOPLES. 

A careful study of the religious life of primi¬ 
tive peoples reveals the remarkable fact of the 
widespread observance of the weekly holy day. 
Nations widely separated by space and time have 
been the fortunate custodians of this institution. 
Races standing high in civilization, as well as 
those low in the stage of human progress, are 
alike sharers in the benefits of this sacred day. 
No continent, whether in its ancient or modern 
days, has been without a representative of a 
weekly rest in honor of gods or God. As more 
light is obtained regarding the early habits of the 
various divisions of mankind, the more widely 
prevalent is found the sacred Seventh Day. 

Recent discoveries in Oriental lands have 
greatly added to the treasures of knowledge on 
this interesting subject, and have brought from 
beneath the dust of time long-forgotten cities, 
with evidences of their customs, habits and reli- 


3 


4 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday , 

gious conceptions. The most important of these 
is the great find in 1869 on the site of Nineveh, 
in which were exhumed thirty thousand tablets, 
collected and deposited there many centuries be¬ 
fore Christ by Assur-bani-pal. The cuneiform, or 
wedge-shaped inscriptions, on the tablets in this 
wonderful library, bear witness of the existence 
of a Sabbath handed down from earlier times. 
In relation to this discovery, Sayce, who is a 
well known authority, says: “ The chief interest 
attaching to it is due to the fact that it bears evi¬ 
dence of a seventh-day Sabbath, on which certain 
works were forbidden to be done, among the 
Babylonians and the Assyrians.” 1 Also “ The 
seventh, fourteenth, nineteenth, twenty-first, and 
twenty-eighth days of the month were days of 
rest.” 2 The following is the full text of the first 
Sabbath in the Elul calendar: “ The 7th day is a 
fast day, (dedicated) to Merodach and Zarpanit. 
A lucky day. A day of rest (Sabbath). The 
shepherd of mighty nations must not eat flesh 
cooked at the fire (or) in the smoke. His clothes 
he must not change. White garments he must 
not put on. He must not offer sacrifice. The 
king must not drive a chariot. He must not 

1 Records of the Past, Vol. vii. p. 157. 

2 Ibid, Vol. i. p. 164. 


Sabbatic Observance among Pagan Peoples. 5 

issue royal decrees. In a secret place the augur 
must not mutter. Medicine for the sickness of 
his body he must not apply. For making a curse 
it is not fit. During the night the king makes 
his free-will offering before Merodach and Istar. 
He offers sacrifice. The lifting up of his hand 
finds favor with the god.” 1 The wording of 
the other Sabbaths in this intercalary month is 
the same as the above with the exception of the 
gods addressed. It appears singular that a Sab¬ 
bath should fall on the nineteenth day of the 
month, but this is accounted for by Boscawen, 
who states that it is the seventh week from the 
beginning of the preceding month, making a Sab¬ 
batic week. 2 

Among the “ Creation Records ” on the first 
tablet, as translated by Talbot, a distinguished 
Assyriologist, is the text: 

“ On the seventh day he appointed a holy day, 

And to cease from all business he commanded.” 8 

Not only had the people of Babylonia a Seventh 
Day rest, but there are evidences of a Sabbatic 
week, a Sabbatic month, and a Sabbatic year. 4 

1 Hibbard Lectures by Sayce, p. 71. 

2 Bible and Monuments, p. 68. 

8 Records of the Past, Vol. ix., p. 118. 

4 Bible and Monuments, p. 69. 


6 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

From the many Accadian words, expressions 
and technical terms employed in the inscriptions 
of the Nineveh Library, scholars have definitely 
declared that these writings are of Accadian 
origin, and that the science and theology of the 
Accadians were borrowed by the Babylonians and 
from them in turn by the Assyrians. This his¬ 
toric people in the valley of the Accad ceased 
to exist as a nation about B. c. 2000, and the 
Sabbath must have been instituted long before 
this date. 

If we take Ragozin as an authority, the Sab¬ 
bath was observed in the reign of Sargon, who 
ruled in the year B. c. 3800. 1 Keary, in his 
“ Dawn of History,” has well said : “ Before com¬ 
merce, or writing, or law, had advanced beyond 
their earliest beginnings, religious rites and funeral 
rites had no doubt been established in every tribe, 
and man’s thoughts about God and his relation¬ 
ship to his creatures had found some verbal ex¬ 
pressions, some sort of creed, in which they could 
be handed down from father to son and form a 
new tie to bind men together.” 2 We are told by 
Petrie, who is one of the most active investigators 
in Biblical Archaeology, that Babylonia was in 

1 Story of Chaldea, pp. 213, 256. 

2 Dawn of History, p. 109. 


Sabbatic Observance among Pagan Peoples . 7 

a high state of civilization as early as the year 
B. c. 6000. 1 Professor Hilprecht, Assyriologist and 
director of the Babylonian Expedition of the Penn¬ 
sylvania University, has given out this authorita¬ 
tive statement: “ There is now abundant evidence 
that the Babylonian people existed, and were 
civilized enough to be able to write, at least 7000 
years before Christ.” 2 He has even gone farther, 
and stated, “that in his judgment the written 
records of Babylonia probably went back as far 
as 8000 before the Christian Era. 3 Acting upon 
the data that religious rites, which includes, in 
this case, sacred days, preceded arts, literature, 
commerce, and law, the holy day then must have 
been in existence at least 7000 years before Christ, 
or nearly 9000 years from the present time. Thus 
we have a primitive Sabbath in Babylonia, closely 
analogous in its injunctions to the Sabbath of the 
Hebrews and Rabbinical Jews, many centuries 
before the advent of Moses. 

The next country laying claims to great antiq¬ 
uity is that which lies in the Valley of the Nile. 
This land of the Pyramids adds significant testi¬ 
mony regarding the weekly religious day. From 
the Egyptian “ Records of the Past ” information 

1 Biblia, Vol. viii., p. 328. 2 Ibid, Vol. ix., p. 184. 

» Ibid, Vol. ix., p. 227. 


8 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

is conveyed to us concerning this Seventh Day. 
In it the following passage occurs: 

‘ * O Ra adored in Aptu (Thebes) : 

High crowned in the house of the obelisk (Heliopolis) : 

King (Ani) Lord of the New Moon Festival: 

To whom the sixth and seventh days are sacred.” 1 

Mr. Goodwin, the able translator, says: “ The 
above quotation was discovered in a hieratic papy¬ 
rus belonging to the nineteenth dynasty, and 
seems to be the contents of an earlier copy.” 
Thus, in the fourteenth century, B. c., in the 
valley of the Nile, there was a Seventh Day 
Sabbath handed down from earlier times. The 
Egyptians regarded it as a lucky day, but unlucky 
if any work was performed; so the priests in¬ 
sisted on its observance. Later on, it was called 
“ Saturn’s Unlucky Day.” 

With reference to China, the next in point of 
age and the most remote of the empires of the 
East from the cradle of the race, we are not left 
in doubt concerning the prevalence of a weekly 
rest-day. The great age of the empire, the won¬ 
derful tenacity with which it holds to old customs, 
and its almost complete exemption from foreign 
influence, render the testimony of this people of 

1 Records of the Past, Vol. ii., p. 132, old series. 


Sabbatic Observance among Pagan Peoples. 9 

great significance as to the independent origin 
of the day. 

In the funereal customs, the Chinese Seventh 
Day seems to have a holy character; and special 
exercises of devotion, with sacrifices to the de¬ 
parted spirit are conscientiously offered, which do 
not occur on any other day. In the Imperial 
Almanac, published by the Emperor, the heavens 
were divided into twenty-eight constellations, or 
houses of the moon as they were called, and these 
were subdivided into four groups, containing 
seven in each group. The centre one was marked 
with a peculiar character, meaning “ closed,” and 
has been there from time immemorial. The days 
occupying the centre of each group were called 
Heu, Maou, Sing, Fang, and were marked as days 
of rest. These days occurred every seventh lunar 
day. Some of these constellations were mentioned 
by Lao, twenty-four centuries before the Christian 
Era. The twenty-eight constellations were first 
established by Yao, b. c. 2317. 1 

In the book of the “ Diagrams,” in the age of 
Fuh-he, who commenced to reign about B. c. 
2857, the expression, “ Seven days complete a 
circle” is found. From the contents of this book, 
we learn that the Seventh Day was a lucky day 
1 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. ii., art. astronomy. 


10 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

for the meeting of friends, when “ benefits were to 
be obtained in all directions.” The king ordered 
on that day, that “ the gates of the great road 
should be shut and traders not permitted to pass, 
nor princes to go to examine the states.” 1 In 
the annals of Suhusius, the Emperor is repre¬ 
sented as offering a sacrifice to the Supreme Deity 
every Seventh Day. 2 

India also possessed this sacred institution. In 
an article on Hindoo Festivals, published in the 
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, this expres¬ 
sion occurs : “ Every seventh lunar day is consid¬ 
ered sacred.” The Phoenicians, according to 
Porphyry, consecrated the Seventh Day as holy. 
The Seventh Day was observed by the Greeks. 
Homer says that “ On the seventh day came the 
sacred day.” The Elegies of Solon intensely 
deify the Seventh Day. Josephus says: “No 
city of the Greeks or Barbarians can be found 
which does not acknowledge the seventh day rest 
from labor.” The Greeks and the Romans, ac¬ 
cording to Aretius, consecrated Saturday to rest, 
conceiving it unfit for civil action and warlike 
affairs, but suited for contemplation, and a day, 
therefore, on which divine patronage was to be 

1 Cath. Presbyterian, Yol. v., p. 200. 

2 The Sabbath and Its Defence, p. 19. 


Sabbatic Observance among Pagan Peoples. 11 

implored against dangers and misfortunes. 1 Be¬ 
fore Mohammed’s time, the Saracens kept their 
Sabbath on Friday and from them he and his 
followers adopted the custom. The pagan Slavo¬ 
nians observed a weekly festival. Professor 
Hadley gives us to understand that the Persians 
had a sacred Seventh Day. 2 

All the leading nations of antiquity observed 
the custom of keeping a sacred day, and this fact 
is not only characteristic of the great nations, 
but it may be seen among many tribes scattered 
throughout the habitable world. A few may be 
mentioned. 

Tribes on the west coast of Africa, in the terri¬ 
tory of Guinea, had a weekly day devoted to 
religious services. The Sofalese on the east coast 
of Africa claim to have a Seventh Day of rest. 
In Pegu, a province of the Ganges, the natives 
had a weekly day on which they assembled to 
receive instruction from the priests, who were 
called Tallopoise. A similar custom seems to 
have been observed in the provinces of Siam and 
Laos, whose priests bear the same name as those 
in Pegu. 

The New World, though completely separated 

1 The Sabbath, by Gilfillan, p. 363. 

2 Hadley’s Essays, p. 329. 


12 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

from the East, can produce evidence of a Seventh 
Day rest similar to that of their Oriental neigh¬ 
bors. The Peruvians were the possessors of the 
month, the week, and the Sabbath, long before 
they came in contact with the nations of Europe. 

Philo, speaking with reference to the Sabbath, 
says: “ That day is a festival not of one city or 
one country, but of all the earth. ” 

These evidences show conclusively that nations 
and tribes scattered over the world have observed 
the hebdomadal rest at a very early age in the 
history of the race. Many more cases could be 
mentioned, but these sufficiently illustrate its 
universal scope. 


Origin of the Week and Holy Day. 13 


CHAPTER II. 

THE ORIGIN OF THE WEEK AND HOLY DAY 
AMONG PRIMITIVE PEOPLES. 

Having seen the prevalence of the weekly 
rest-day among ancient peoples, the question now 
is, How did these nations have such unanimity 
regarding this religious custom? Formerly the 
origin of the Seventh Day was supposed to 
reach away beyond the range of historic vision 
into • the dim and dateless past, hut the spade 
and pick, together with other agencies, have in 
these modern days dispelled the darkness, rolled 
back the scroll of time, and revealed to us the 
circumstances of its beginning. It has been 
said, with truth, that “ The origin of the Sab¬ 
bath must be sought within a circle that used 
the week as a divisor of time.” 1 The origin 
of the Sabbath is identical with the origin of 
the week; that is to say, what originated the 
week was also the causal agent of the Sabbath. 

1 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol. xxi., p. 125. 


14 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

It is a known fact that all divisions of time 
were primarily made by the movements of 
heavenly bodies. We must, then, look for its 
source in some phenomena of nature, common 
to all, and of such an attractive character as to 
call forth marked attention. Some suppose that 
it was due to the seven planets. It is true the 
days of the week were named after the planets 
as then known by Chaldea, but this is com¬ 
paratively a recent idea. Formerly the months, 
the weeks and days of the week, w r ere indicated 
by numbers. Some time afterwards the names 
of the seven planets or planetary gods were 
applied to the seven days of the week. The 
Chaldean order of planets — Saturn, Sun, Moon, 
Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus — was intro¬ 
duced into Egypt about A. d. 150, but Egypt had 
a week and a sacred day many centuries before 
this. Egypt did not long enjoy this boon before 
it was carried to Rome. Roman writers speak 
of a seventh rest day at least a thousand gen¬ 
erations previous to the introduction of this 
astrological week. If the -week were derived 
from the planets, then all the other countries 
would have their particular names and the same 
order; but this is not the case, for India com¬ 
menced its week with the supposed largest planet 


Origin of the Week and Holy Bay . 15 

and Egypt commenced hers with the most dis¬ 
tant planeo. So then, in each country referred to 
above, the seven-day week was a time-period long 
recognized before they thought of giving names 
to the days. 

Others claim that the number seven was a 
sacred number among early peoples; but this is 
far from satisfactory. From a little investiga¬ 
tion, it will be seen that other numbers, such 
as five, ten, twelve, forty, and seventy, were also 
sacred, and were frequently mentioned in the 
Bible and in other sacred books of the East 
The numbers ten and twelve figure prominently, 
and are as truly sacred numbers as the number 
seven. No number is at first sacred abstractly. 
It is only the association with something religious 
that gives a number a sacred import. What 
could be more sacred to the Jew than the num¬ 
ber ten, arising from its connection with the 
ten commandments; and the number twelve, 
from its relation to the twelve tribes of Israel ? 
The latter number is almost as frequently used 
as the number seven, and is more vitally con¬ 
nected with religion. A few cases of the uses 
made of the number twelve in the Bible will 
now be noted. There were twelve tribes of 
Israel; twelve apostles; twelve precious stones 


16 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

on the breastplate of judgment; twelve brazen 
oxen upon which rested the “ sea ”; twelve 
stones were taken out of Jordan; twelve hours 
in the day; twelve stars in the crown; the city 
had twelve gates; twelve angels were at the 
gates ; the walls of the city had twelve founda¬ 
tions; the gates.had twelve pearls; the tree bore 
twelve manner of fruits; twelve lions were on 
each side of the throne; twelve loaves of shew- 
bread were placed on the table; there were 
twelve princes of the Ishmaelites; twelve pillars 
of the altar erected by Moses ; there were twelve 
months; there were twelve signs of the Zodiac ; 
there were twelve stones set up at Gilgal. In 
a single chapter of the Old Testament twelve 
occurs twenty-three times. 1 This list could be 
extended to greater length, but the above refer¬ 
ences will serve to show its frequent use in 
Biblical times and its connection with divine 
things. 

It is some special thing, always a natural 
object, that gives a certain number preeminence 
over another. Authorities inform us that the 
number ten arose from the use of ten fingers 
and also ten toes, which were used in counting 
by tribes low in mental development. Twelve 
1 1 Chron. xxv. chap. 



Origin of the JVeeJc and Holy Bay. IT 

was emphasized from the fact that there were 
twelve months or moons in the year. The 
prominence of four is due to the four directions 
or corners of the earth. Forty is another impor¬ 
tant number, being a combination of four and 
ten; also seventy, being a combination of seven 
and ten. So we see that the prominence of a 
number is derived from some special object in 
nature, and the number being attached to a sacred 
thing, obtains the rank of sacredness. To say 
that every Seventh Day rest was chosen because 
seven was a sacred number is no explanation, 
as it fails to tell us why seven was any more 
sacred or prominent than six. 

The origin of seven as a prominent number 
is directly traceable to the practice of moon- 
worship. It must be borne in mind that the 
religion of the early tribes was that of nature 
worship. Indeed, it was with great difficulty that 
the Israelites were kept from worshipping the 
sun, stars, and the “ queen of heaven ” (moon). 
The Sacred Record makes reference fifteen times 
to the worship of the moon and “ the hosts of 
heaven” into which they were about to or had 
already fallen. These heavenly bodies were the 
most imposing objects to inspire worship, and 
the moon seems to have taken the first place in 


18 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

the devotion and reverence of primitive worship¬ 
pers. It was the moon that called forth the 
greatest attention. Proctor says, “ It can scarcely 
be questioned that the science of astronomy had 
its origin in the study of the moon.” 1 Almost 
every tribe in the early history of the race 
worshipped the moon. “ In Africa,” says Tyler, 
“ moon worship is prominent in an immense 
district where sun worship is unknown or is 
insignificant.” Generally speaking wandering 
nomads worshipped the moon, but when they 
settled down to an agricultural life, they wor¬ 
shipped the sun because most of their blessings 
were derived from the sun. 2 The “man in the 
moon ” is a familiar expression the world over. 
This man-like appearance led the early races 
into the notion that it was a god. They sup¬ 
posed that it was living, possessing the qualities 
of men, looking down upon them and taking 
note of all that they did. It journeyed from 
one extreme of the heavens to the other, changed 
its form and size, thus giving the idea of a living, 
acting, moving being. Besides this it was a 
pleasure to gaze upon the moon with its meek, 
mild, and beaming face, while the sun in his 

1 The Moon, by Proctor, p. 1. 

2 Primitive Culture, Vol. ii., p. 272. 


Origin of the Week and Holy Day. 19 

noonday splendor could not be endured for a 
moment. 

Nothing is so well calculated to enlist the 
worship and admiration of a simple and primi¬ 
tive people as our lunar orb. When the new 
moon appeared it was greeted with devotion and 
reverence and fitting ceremonies were sacredly 
performed by all. At the appearance of the half 
moon, worship was again offered in its honor by 
its devoted patrons. As the full moon, in its 
glory and sublimity, rose in the eastern sky, 
it was once more a call to worship, and the 
assembled multitude paid their respects to it in 
a becoming way. Lastly the half moon with its 
horns reversed, was also given its share of wor¬ 
ship by its faithful devotees. Here are four days 
occurring on the changes of the moon, when 
special religious worship was held in its honor. 
If the time of each of the four phases of the 
moon is ascertained, it will be found to be practi¬ 
cally seven days. Thus the four quarters of the 
moon originated the four weeks of the month. 
The week then corresponds to a quarter or phase 
of the moon. As this week lasts practically seven 
days we have then the prominence of the number 
seven. As the special worship day took place on 
the first day of the change of the moon, it would 


20 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

occur every seventh day. On this day the natives 
wholly refrained from work because they thought 
it would anger the moon-god. It was the moon, 
then, that first determined the week and Holy 
Day. 

Not only did it make the week but it was an 
instrument by which time was determined. There 
is scarcely an early tribe that did not measure 
time by the moon. This, no doubt, accounts for 
the word “ Ma,” meaning measurer, being applied 
to the moon, — because it measured all time. 
Sayce, in speaking of the Babylonian week, says, 
“ The week was a space of time naturally marked 
out by the phases of the moon.” 1 Wilkinson 
contributes to our knowledge on this point in 
these words, “ Weeks were the approximate of 
the lunar division of time.” 2 The Papago Indians 
measure by half moons and quarter moons. The 
inhabitants of Borneo reckon time by the phases 
of the moon. It is surprising how extensively the 
moon entered into the time calculation of the 
early races, even in America. A quotation from 
Lubbock will suffice on this point. Speaking of 
the Crees, he says : “ A resident who knew them 
before they were in their present half civilized 

1 Fresh Light from Ancient Monuments, p. 25. 

2 Customs and Manners of Egypt. 


Origin of the Week and Holy Day. 21 

state, says that they had names for the moons 
that make up the year, called whirlwind moons, 
moons when the fowls go south, moons when the 
leaves fall off the trees, etc. When a hunter left 
a record of his chase he pictured on a piece of 
birch bark for the information of others who 
might pass that way. He drew a picture which 
showed the name of the month, and beside it a 
drawing of the shape of the moon at the time so 
accurately, that an Indian could tell, from twelve 
to twenty-four hours, the moon and the day of the 
month when the record was set up.” 1 

The moon in fact determined the year, the 
month, the week, and also the beginning of the 
day. It may seem absurd to state that the moon 
began the day, but it is explained in this way: 
as the new moon appeared a little after sundown, 
then the first day of the month would commence 
just at that hour. The day at that time com¬ 
menced in the evening, because the new moon 
first appeared in the evening. This fact accounts 
for the mention of an evening and morning, in 
Genesis, as constituting a day. 

Objection is made by many reputable writers 
to the quartering of the moon, on the ground that 
the seven-day period is not an exact quarter of 
1 Early History of Mankind, p. 70. 


22 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

the lunar month. With as much reason could we 
say that the lunar month was not an aliquot of 
the ancient year, but the lunar month was made 
a factor of the lunar year by added time when the 
circumstances required it. The day is not an 
exact divisor of the year, for there has to be a day 
intercalated every four years. All astronomers 
know how difficult it is to get exact time. Our 
civil year does not correspond to the true solar 
year. Even the hour at one time of the year 
differs slightly from the hour at another time of 
the year, because the earth travels faster at some 
points of its orbit than it does at others. The 
sidereal clock at certain times of the year differs 
widely from that of our common timekeeper. For 
practical purposes, however, it is not necessary to 
enter into such mathematical exactness. It must 
be remembered that when this method of reckon¬ 
ing time was adopted there were no astronomical 
or mathematical instruments in existence to deter¬ 
mine accurate measurements. It is the practical 
rough-and-ready reckoning of untutored savages. 
To the primitive races the week of seven days 
was practically the quarter of the month, just as 
the month was practically the twelfth part of the 
year. The moon makes a revolution round the 
earth in about twenty-seven and a half days; that 


Origin of the Week and Holy Day. 23 

is, when it is seen in conjunction with a star or a 
group of stars it will take twenty-seven and a 
half days to reach the same station again. This 
is called the sidereal revolution. It requires 
twenty-nine and a half days for the moon to 
occupy the same position to the earth that it did 
before, which is called the synodical revolution. 
Mention has been made of the Hindoos, the 
Arabs, and the Chinese, having twenty-eight 
stations of the moon representing her monthly 
journey. As the day commenced with the night 
then there would be twenty-eight nights in their 
sidereal months. The inhabitants of Madagascar 
had a civil month of twenty-eight nights. The 
Ibos of the lower Niger had a month of twenty- 
eight days. The Congoese had also a month of 
twenty-eight days. Many other tribes in various 
parts of the world had a similar month of twenty- 
eight days or twenty-eight nights. Now, seven is 
just a quarter of this number of days or nights. 
But this was not the method first used by the 
earlier races, for this required some advance in 
astronomical knowledge. 

At first, the moon was viewed as she appeared 
in her phases, and even then, many times, the 
week of seven days would exactly divide the 
month. One consideration must be kept in view, 


24 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

and that is, as Proctor says, “the months are 
longer in winter than in summer.” In winter 

O 

the earth travels faster, as it is nearer the sun, 
therefore making the months longer sometimes 
by about twelve hours. The moon at various 
times differs in its distance from the earth, to 
the extent of thirty-eight thousand miles, and 
this would also affect the length of the month. 

The long months would have to add time to 
the four weeks to keep the weeks and phases 
of moon identical. Proctor tells of the Greeks 
adding an intercalating day at the end of the 
lunar month when it needed it, and called it 
“The old and the new,” because, they claimed, 
it belonged to the waning and reappearing moon. 1 
If observations were taken of the moon in an off¬ 
hand way, it will be found that the seven-day 
week so beautifully fits in to the lunar month, 
that no other could well be chosen. Suppose 
that on a certain day the moon is due at six 
o’clock; seven days from that time, being the 
eighth day of the month, the half moon will 
appear; and seven days from this, being the 
fifteenth day of the month, the full moon will 
rise unto view. Add seven days more, which 
will be the twenty-second of the month, and the 
1 The Great Pyramid, by Proctor, pp. 219, 220. 


Origin of the Week and Holy Hay. 25 

waning half presents itself: seven days from 
this date would bring us to the twenty-ninth 
day of the month, where we would be likely 
to see another new moon. The “ Records of the 
Past” incidentally states many times that the 
new moon was seen on the twenty-ninth day of 
the month, thus making a month of twenty-eight 
days. We have seen that the seven nights is 
an exact divisor of the sidereal month, and seven 
days for practical purposes is a divisor of the 
synodic month, so that it can be safely said that 
the week of seven days, in a practical way, is 
a quarter of the lunar month. Thus, the objection 
that the week was not a factor of the lunar month, 
cannot be sustained by the force of facts. 

In some places, especially among American 
Indians, seven is a prominent number from the 
fact of its being the sum of the cardinal direc¬ 
tions including the centre, viz., east, west, north, 
south, zenith, nadir and self or centre. This idea 
is prevalent however in an exceedingly limited 
part of the globe. While the prominence of seven 
may have arisen in this way with an insignificant 
number of people, its prominence with mankind 
generally took its rise from the number of days 
constituting a quarter of the moon. 


26 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 


CHAPTER III. 

PEOPLES POSSESSING A SABBATH DERIVED 
FROM THE MOON. 

Having seen the origin of the Seventh Day 
of the heathen, we shall now consider those 
nations, tribes and religions that independently 
derived the holy day from the moon. 

It was the moon god that originated the Sab¬ 
bath of Babylonia, as the following quotation 
from the Assyrian records shows: 

“ The moon he appointed to rule the night 
and to wander through the night, till the dawn of day. 
Every month without fail he made holy assembly days. 

In the beginning of the month, at the rising of the night, 
it shot forth its horns to illuminate the heavens. 

On the seventh day he appointed a holy day, 
and to cease from all business he commanded.” 1 

Other renderings of the above text exist but 
this is the most intelligible. The truth of it 
however is supported by the following undis¬ 
puted text from the “ Transactions of the Society 


1 Records of the Past, Vol. ix., p. 118. 


A Sabbath Derived from the Moon. 27 

of Biblical Archaeology,” which reads, u The moon 
a rest on the seventh day, the fonrteeeth day, 
the twenty-first day, and the twenty-eighth day 
causes.” 1 This is an older document. Later, 
the holy days were dedicated to other gods. 
Another tablet, exhumed in Nineveh, throws light 
on the idea of divine names given to the different 
phases of the moon. The month is divided into 
two lunations, each containing three periods, 2 
with five days in a period. 

The same is true regarding the origin of the 
Egyptian Sabbath. In the quotation or hymn 
addressed to Amen-Ra, the expression, 

“ King (Ani), Lord of the New Moon festival: 

To whom the sixth and seventh days are sacred.” 3 

leaves us without a doubt as to the origin of the 
seventh sacred day in the valley of the Nile. A 
great authority shows that the week of seven 
days existed in the earliest times in Egypt, though 
afterward superseded by the decade. 4 Weeks 
are mentioned in company with months in some 
of the oldest hieroglyphics, and, curiously enough, 
they are called “uk,” which may be the origin 

1 Trans. Soc. Bib. Arch., Vol. iii., p. 313. 

2 Ancient Empires of the East, p. 171. 

3 Record of the Past, Vol. ii., p. 132. 

4 Customs and Manners of Egypt, by Wilkinson. 


28 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

of our own Anglo-Saxon word “ week.” As the 
week and the Sabbath were coeval, then accord¬ 
ing to this, the Sabbath must have been known 
about b. c. 5000, for the date of the first king, 
Mena, is put by such an eminent authority as 
Mariette, at b. c. 5004, and hieroglyphics were in 
vogue at that remote date. 

China can trace its Sabbath to the same natural 
cause. The Chinese, like the old Hindoos and 
the Arabs, observed twenty-eight celestial sta¬ 
tions, marked off by the moon on her monthly 
journey, and indicated by a star or a group of 
stars. Each station represented the moon’s daily 
position in the zodiac. 1 The zodiac was the 
great heavenly dial plate, while the moon served 
as the measuring hand, thus affording a means 
of reckoning time. The four groups of celestial 
stations mentioned in the former chapter sug¬ 
gest the four weeks or phases of the moon and 
accounts for the expression “ Seven days complete 
a circle.” One of these lunar stations, in each 
group of seven, has a peculiar mark attached to 
it, indicating something special with that lumi¬ 
nary. This marked station, representing a day, 
no doubt refers to the lunar change. This day 
is the seventh lunar day on which these people 
rest and worship. 

1 What India can Teach us pp. 149, 150. 


A Sabbath Derived from the Moon, 29 

The same time division has been found in 
India. The new moon, the full moon, the eighth, 
and twenty-second days of the lunar month were 
holy days. 1 Professor Wilson writing on Hindoo 
festivals, tells us that, “ While fasting is held to 
be meritorious on the day consecrated to Adelya 
or Rovi (sun), every seventh lunar day is also 
considered sacred, especially on the seventh day 
of the moon’s increase.” 2 The holy days here, 
being connected with a phase of the moon, in¬ 
dicates their origin. 

The Sabaeans, who existed long anterior to 
Abraham, had also a seventh lunar day of special 
significance. The wise men or magi called Sabae 
met on the new moon, the full moon, and the 
intervening middle days, for consultation in state 
and religious matters. These days were called 
Saba days. 3 From the fact of the common peo¬ 
ple assembling to get advice from the Sabae, these 
days developed in a short time into festival days. 

The Persians had also a lunar week and a 
sacred day. “ When the difference between the 
four lunar weeks and the lunar month amounted 
to a day, then there was a day intercalated. 4 

1 Kern, Buddhismus, cited from Ency. Bri., art. Sabbath. 

2 West. Review, liv., p. 158. 8 Ibid, liv., p. 174. 

4 Antiquities of Israel, by Renan, p. 99. 


30 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

Here again, the sacred day is not separated from 
the “ orb that rules the night.” 

From a history of the Arabs by Crichton, it is 
shown that they had lunar months and sub¬ 
divisions of them into weeks. 1 These are lunar 
weeks corresponding to the phase of the moon. 
From the above reference, the lunar origin of the 
holy day of this people cannot be doubted. It is 
the opinion of some scholars that the measurement 
of time by the Arabs was borrowed from the 
people of India or China. The system of lunar 
stations was independently originated in China 
and India. This is shown by the fact that the 
Chinese had at first twenty-four constellations, 
which were raised subsequently to twenty-eight, 
while in India they had at first twenty-seven and 
finally settled on twenty-eight. If these nations, 
without contact with one another, could institute 
such a time system, there are no reasons why the 
Arabians could not independently produce the 
same. Conclusive evidence has not come to hand 
that they copied in their time divisions. 

The Phoenicians reckoned time by lunar months 
and observed the Seventh Day Sabbath which 
seems to have coincided with the phases of 
the moon. The Canaanites kept a seventh day 
1 History of Arabia Vol. i. 185. 


A Sabbath Derived from the Moon . 31 

festival in honor of their god, Saturn. 1 These 
seven days were periods of the lunar month, 
marking off the phases of the moon. The Bur¬ 
mese held their sacred festivals at the quarters of 
the moon. 2 All public business was suspended 
and the people paid their homage to Gautama at 
the temple, presenting to the image rice, fruit, 
flowers, candles, etc.! 

The Romans had a day of the week especially 
devoted to religious and other public purposes. 
This day seems to have come, not from other 
countries, but independently from moon-worship. 
Civil months were instituted in Rome in the year 
B.c. 452; previous to that time they had lunar 
months. At the time when they introduced civil 
months, the Calends were invariably the first days 
of the month, and were so named because the 
priests had been accustomed to call the people to¬ 
gether on that day to announce to them what days 
were to be kept sacred during the month. The 
Ides, so called from the verb “ iduare,” to divide, 
took place on the middle of the month, and the 
Nones occurred on the ninth day before the Ides, 
counting inclusively. If the Ides fell on the fif¬ 
teenth, the Nones would be on the seventh day. 

1 Michaelis, Commentary on the Law of Moses, art. 248. 

2 The Sabbath, by Gilfillan, p 360. 


32 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

In March, May, July, and October, the Ides fell 
on the fifteenth and the Nones on the seventh. 
Colonel Ellis gives us to understand that the sys¬ 
tem of Calends, Nones and Ides dates from a 
period when time was reckoned by lunar months 
and was really a system of half moons and quarter 
moons; the Nones falling on the seventh-eighth 
night, the Ides on the fourteenth-fifteenth night, 
and the Calends on the new moon. 1 Thus, the 
Calends, Nones and Ides correspond respectively 
to the new moon, the half moon and the full 
moon. It seems that the last quarter of the 
moon was not included. If this phase were not 
really observed, at this very early time, as soon 
as the other phases, it may easily be accounted 
for from the fact that the last phase appears 
about midnight, at a time when nearly all are 
at rest. The three holy days mentioned corre¬ 
sponded to the phases of the moon. It is then 
safe, from all the evidence, to affirm that without 
the moon these days would not have been called 
into existence. 

In reference to the Greeks, a quotation from 
the writings of Professor Samuel Lee clearly indi¬ 
cates their relation to this divine institution. 
‘ The seventh month and the seventh day of the 

1 Pop. Sc. Mon., Jan. ’95 


A Sabbath Derived from the Moon. 33 

month,” he says, “ were held sacred among the 
Greeks as having been honored by the birth of 
Apollo. The first, seventh and fourteenth days 
of the month, were also held as holy days, and of 
these the first and seventh were dedicated to 
Apollo. The twenty-fourth, as being the seventh 
counting backward from the first of the month, 
was also a holy day.” 1 Here the month is a 
period of the moon, and four holy days, pecu¬ 
liarly belonging to the Greeks, occur on the new 
phases of the moon. Hesiod, who flourished in the 
eighth century B.C., writes: “For these days are 
from Jupiter the discerner; First the day (of the 
new moon) also the fourth, and the seventh, a 
sacred day.” 2 

The Harranians had four sacrificial days in each 
lunar month. 3 These days were of a religious 
nature. Two of these days were on the new and 
full moon. It is no unwarranted assumption to 
say that the moon was primarily the determining 
agent of these days, in the sense that if there had 
been no moon there would be no such days. The 
Siamese have a lunar month consisting of twenty 

1 Samuel Lee, cited by W. F. Crafts, “ Sabbath for Man,” 
p. 527. 

2 Works and Days, by Hesiod. 

3 Fihrist, 319-14, cited from Ency Brit., art Sabbath. 


34 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

nine days in the odd and thirty days in the even 
months, and reckon by half moons and quarter 
moons, and these quarter moons constitute their 
weeks. 1 Cort further states, “ Like other idola¬ 
trous nations the moon is one of their principal 
objects of superstition, and the first, eight, fif¬ 
teenth and twenty-second days of the moon are 
holy days, and they call them days of the Lord.” 2 
Speaking with regard to the Peruvians, Garci- 
lasso says: “ They reckoned the months by the 
moon, they reckoned the half months by the in¬ 
creasing and waning of the moon, they reckoned 
the weeks by the quarters of the moon without 
having any particular name for the days of the 
week.” 3 The Peruvian week centres around the 
moon, and the weekly rest day, referred to in 
Chapter I., must necessarily have the same rela¬ 
tion to it. 

Evidence has been quite recently produced 
showing that the earty Mound Builders observed 
a worship day or worshiped the different phases of 
the moon. This is the estimate of Mr. Peet, in 
his work on “ Historic America.” Alluding to a 
recent mound find, he says : “ This find was made 

1 Temple and Elephants, by Bock, app. 3. 

2 History of Siam, p. 194. 

8 Humboldt’s Researches, Yol. i., p. 283. 


A Sabbath Derived from the Moon . 35 

upon the north fork of Paint Creek, in the group 
of mounds from which Squire and Davis, many 
years ago, took so many valuable and curious 
relics, showing that the offerings which were 
placed upon the altar were in reality devoted to 
the moon as well as to the sun, the mound, the 
altar, and the relics being combined in symbolizing 
the different phases of the moon.” 1 The picture 
of the new phase of the moon, with an altar at¬ 
tached to it, reveals, as clearly as such could, that 
the new phases of the moon were worshipped, 
and this implies a worship day which would con¬ 
stitute the Sabbath of this ancient tribe. 

The Sabbath of the Buddhists is observed on 
the full moon, on the day when there is no moon, 
and on the two days which are eighth from the 
full and new moon, respectively. 2 The phrase, 
“ when there is no moon,” evidently refers to the 
moon when it is in conjunction with the sun, at 
which time it cannot be seen until almost a day 
after. At a very early period they observed the 
new and full moon, later on the half moon was 
regarded as worthy of special reverence. From 
this evidence, it cannot be doubted that the Sab¬ 
bath of this great religious body was brought 
about through the instrumentality of the moon. 

1 History of America, p. 242. 2 Ency. Bri., Vol. xxi., p. 126. 


36 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

A modern sacred book, called “ Oahspe,” has 
something to say to its believers on the subject of 
the Sabbath. This book claims to have been given 
by enlightened intuitions. The following quota¬ 
tion is pertinent to our purpose: “Watch ye for 
the new moon,” says the sacred book, “ and glorify 
the Great Spirit that He may prosper you. It 
shall be a holy day of rest. At the change of the 
second quarter of the moon, is the relief watch of 
My angels who abide with mortals; let that be a 
holy day of rest. Let My chosen keep the four 
holy days of rest during each moon, for on these 
days do My guardian angels change the watch. 
Because of four quarters to each moon, so do I 
give you four Sab-da (Sabbaths) which shall be 
days of worship.” 1 

Those who believe in the teachings of “ Oahspe,” 
must acknowledge that the changes of the moon 
cause the Sab-da, which are to be kept holy be¬ 
cause the moon-angels change watch. 

The week of seven days is not an exact divisor 
of the time intervening between the two moons. 
A lunar month on the average lasts about twenty- 
nine and a half days; the quarter of the lunar 
month is seven days and nine hours. We have 
cases on record where the week corresponds to a 
1 Oahspe, p. 596, vs. 63. 


A Sabbath Derived from the Moon. 37 

lunation even to the hour. This is the case with 
the Schi tribe, on the Gold Coast of Africa. This 
method of exact reckoning would make the new 
week fall on a different hour and frequently on a 
different day. Suppose the moon on Monday was 
seen at six o’clock, then the next week would 
commence at three o’clock on Tuesday. With the 
above mentioned tribe, the first day of the week 
was called “ Dyo-da,” meaning day of rest for all 
people. They had also a Sabbath dedicated to the 
sea god, on which it was unlawful, on the penalty 
of death, for fishermen to fish. They had another 
Sabbath in honor of the gods of agriculture, a day 
on which all who cultivated the soil should rest. 
But on the first day of the week, the moon-god 
was to receive the homage of all, for which pur¬ 
pose they should rest from all labor. This ancient 
and barbaric tribe offers another clear illustration 
of the independent origin of the weeks and the 
Sabbath directly from the moon. Another tribe 
on the west coast of Africa, called the Ga tribe, 
has likewise a week of seven days and nine hours 
each. In this tribe the first day of the week is 
called “ Dsu,” meaning purification; and because 
it was dedicated to the moon, Dsu seems to have 
become a title of the moon. 1 


1 Pop. Sc. Mon., Jan. ’95. 


38 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

Judging from the language of the Anglo-Saxons 
the same custom prevailed with them. The month 
was called a moon, because it lasted just a lunation. 
The expressions “fort-night” (fourteen nights), 
and sen-night ” (seven nights), are periods made 
by the moon, or expressions indicating half moons 
and quarter moons. The word “ week ” is from 
the Anglo-Saxon “ weaxan,” to increase, to wane, 
to change. This can refer to no other than the 
phases of the moon. As the week and holy day 
were primarily inseparable, the sacred day of this 
race of people must have had a connection with 
the moon. The Druids of ancient Britain had 
four holy days, on the four changes of the moon, 
on which they had special religious ceremonies. In 
Harley’s “ Moon Lore,” 1 reference is made to them 
in these words: “The moon occupied a high 
position in the religion of the Druids, who had 
superstitious rites at the lunar changes, and w T ere 
always represented as having the crescent in their 
hands.” In the ancient Hawaiian calendar the 
seventh, fourteenth, the twenty-first, and the 
twenty-eighth days of the moon were taboo days, 
that is days on which it was unlawful to work. 2 

1 Moon Lore, p. 120. 

2 History of Hawaiian People, p. 50 ; also Summer Lectures, 
’99, by Professor Toy. 


A Sabbath Derived from the Moon. 39 

The Celtic “ Sab-aith ” was a day on which the 
priests assembled for the purpose of sacrifice, 
counsel, and religious ceremonies. This holy day 
occurred on the new moon, the full moon, and on 
the “ horned moons.” 1 

The monks of Lamaism in Tibet observed four 
religious fast days in the month which occurred at 
the four changes of the moon. 2 

The evidences on the subject of this chapter are 
drawn from trustworthy writers, many of whom 
were eye witnesses of what they wrote; from 
historians whose reputation for honesty cannot be 
impugned; from languages, papyri, cylinders, and 
tablets; from mounds and monuments that can be 
seen and read to-day; from the most ancient 
kingdoms and empires that have dominated exten¬ 
sive areas of territory, as well as obscure tribes in 
various stages of development scattered throughout 
the continents of the world. These evidences are 
not lacking in any particular to establish the 
theory that the week and the holy day among the 
heathen were first determined by the agency of 
the moon. 

1 Anacalypsis, ii.—297. West. Review, Yol. liv., 160. 

2 Buddhism in Tibet, p. 601. 


40 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 


CHAPTER IV. 

NATURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HEATHEN 
SABBATH. 

The last chapter furnished us with unmistak¬ 
able cases of people independently instituting the 
week and the Sabbath directly from the moon. 
No doubt some tribes and peoples have borrowed 
from others this institution, but where that is 
the case, such borrowing is easily detected from 
the similarity of language, identity of names and 
places, method of procedure, and order of results. 
Some or all of these marks always accompany the 
process of copying. 

As before suggested, the Sabbath of the heathen 
was not the seventh day of the year, or of time, 
but the seventh day of the moon. But at first all 
the phases of the moon were not recognized in a 
religious sense, neither did physical rest form 
a leading factor in the primitive Sabbath, that 
was a later development. 

From data presented in the study of compara- 


Nature and Development of Heathen Sabbath. 41 

tive religions, we are in a position to indicate the 
progress of the Sabbath from the earliest times. 
It seems fitting at this stage of our discussion to 
briefly outline this development or evolution of 
the lunar Sabbath. 

As nature worship was the first and lowest 
form of worship, the moon would naturally be, 
and was, the most prominent object to inspire awe 
and reverence. Now the new moon has always 
enlisted greater interest and attention than the 
other phases. This is due to the fact of its new¬ 
ness, having apparently no relation to the previous 
moons, and also its position , rising in the west 
while the old moon rose in the east. Its shape 
and size decidedly differed from the other phases 
of the moon, and all of these combined to produce 
a marked impression upon the childish mind of 
tribes of primitive days. We have some tribes, 
even to-day, who have not advanced beyond the 
first stages in the growth of this institution. 
The Mendis and the Bechuanas as well as the 
inhabitants of Madagascar and Senegambia, wor¬ 
ship the moon only when it is new. 

The next step in this religious evolution is 
marked by the veneration not only of the new 
moon but the full moon also. When the full 
moon rose above the eastern horizon with all its 


42 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

brilliancy, beauty, and glory, the simple mind of 
the devotees of the crescent moon felt the neces¬ 
sity of paying their devotions to the moon in the 
full as well. The moon in the new and the fully 
the beginning of the month and the middle of the 
month, were now the only sacred days. The 
Javanese and the Tonquinese in their religious 
progress did not go further than this step, and 
loyally adhered to the observance of the new and 
full moon only. The Buddhists of India at a 
very early period of their existence offered their 
devotions to the moon of a half circle, and the 
round moon, but later in their history all phases 
came in for a share of their religious interest. 
One case is furnished by the Mexicans who 
worshipped the full moon only. This cannot 
be the original thought, for the moon reached the 
full through a gradual growth night by night, 
and would not stand out in striking contrast with 
the periods immediately preceding. Contrasts 
always call out special attention. The new moon 
is a perfect contrast with the old in shape, size 
and position, but the intervening stages are 
dropped out of sight. It would then naturally 
take the first place in arresting attention. The 
full moon could not reasonably be worshipped 
unless the new moon was worshipped too, because 


Nature and Development of Heathen Sabbath. 43 

it came to the full by degrees. In all probability 
both moons at first were adored, but the superior 
brightness and glory of the full moon so eclipsed 
the new that the latter fell into obscurity. 

Not many generations could have passed away 
before the superstitious and devout mind of savage 
tribes, would notice that the half moon was much 
different from the new and the full moon, and 
would form a convenient dividing line between 
the two. The mind would quickly seize on the 
crescent moon, the round moon, and the half 
moon, as distinct phases of the orb that rules the 
night. Sacrifices and worship were offered to the 
half moon and finally the day became a sacred 
day on a level with the other two days of the 
month. The Calends, Nones and Ides of ancient 
Rome seem to indicate these three periods of 
the moon. 

We have been considering the half moon aspect 
of lunar worship, but it was that of the waxing 
moon. The waning moon has a half too, of which 
we will now speak. The waning half moon came 
in for its proper share of attention at a later 
period than the other phases of the moon. This 
phase does not appear until about midnight and 
is not generally seen by the people. Only night 
watchmen and shepherds would see it at all. 


44 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

After the increasing half was religiously observed, 
its patrons could not consistently withhold their 
reverence very long for the other half. In this 
way it assumed the rank of the other phases. 
We have then the four changes of the moon 
specially adored, with a worship day set apart 
for each. 

The new-phase-day of the moon was at first a 
worship day without reference to the time inter¬ 
vening between them. Then a period of about 
seven days on the average was noticed from one 
change of the moon to the other, thus constituting 
the week of seven days. When the division of 
seven days was recognized the worship day was 
counted the beginning of the period and would 
fall on the first, eighth, fifteenth, and twenty- 
second days of the month as in Siam. But as a 
new phase occurred every seventh day from the 
beginning of the month, it was finally called the 
seventh day and reckoned as the closing day of 
the week. Then the holy day would fall on 
the seventh, fourteenth, twenty-first, and twenty- 
eighth days of the month, as in Babylonia. 

At first the lunar day cannot be regarded as 
anything more than a day of sacrifice to the lunar 
god. The Harranians did not progress beyond 
this primitive stage of religious life. Their holy 


Nature and Development of Heathen Sabbath. 45 

day was merely a sacrificial day with little or no 
requirements beyond that of presenting sacrifices 
to their god. The unused sacrifices naturally 
prepared the way for a feast which was at that 
time a meal with the god. The Burmese feasts 
represent this second stage of development. The 
feast was the prominent feature in the heathen 
holy day. The next stage is that of rest from 
work. They rested not for the sake of supplying 
the needs of the body, but for fear of angering the 
moon-god. So much attention was given to the 
feast that it finally was regarded as sacred to, 
or belonging to, the moon-god, and ordinary work 
was considered a slight or disrespect to their 
deity, which would arouse his anger. The day 
came to be called an unlucky day, because bad 
luck, due to the vengeance of the god, would fol¬ 
low any work performed on the day sacred to the 
moon-god. 

The methods of reckoning time by the ancients 
were very crude and inconvenient, and could not 
continue long while they were on the path of 
progress. A movement was therefore begun to¬ 
wards the civil year, civil month, civil week, and 
civil day. Arbitrary and civil methods were re¬ 
sorted to to facilitate the reckoning of true time. 
Lunar months were changed to civil months. 


46 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

Lunar weeks gave way to civil weeks, regardless 
of the phases of the moon. The difficulty of 
getting an exact number of days in the week, to 
fit into the lunar month led to various devices. 
Some divided the month into three weeks of ten 
days each, as in the case of the Greeks and 
Egyptians in a certain period of their national 
life. The Javanese had six weeks of five days 
each. The Congoese had seven weeks of four 
days each. The Yorubas had five weeks of five 
days and one week of four and a half days. All 
of these civil methods make the month consist of 
from twenty-eight to thirty days. Previous to this 
they had lunar months, and the civil month is 
only a step in the line of progress. A number of 
cases is on record where the civil month is made 
to correspond to the synodical revolution of the 
moon. They do it by putting twenty-nine days 
in the odd months and thirty days in the even 
months. As there are about twenty-nine and a 
half days in each month or moon, this method 
would keep the months parallel with the moons. 
The Babylonians, ancient Romans, Greeks, Sia¬ 
mese, Peruvians, and others used this method. 




PART IT. 

THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE HEBEWS. 


47 

















' 
















■ 


* 














- 



I 
















CHAPTER I. 

RELATION OF THE HEBREWS TO NEIGHBORING 
TRIBES. 

Having noted the origin of the Sabbath among 
ancient peoples, we are now led to inquire where 
the Hebrews got their Sabbath. The Sacred 
Record tells us that the Sabbath commandment 
was given to the Hebrews by God through Moses, 
but this does not imply that it was the first time 
the Sabbatic idea entered the mind of man. It is 
easily conceivable how men of God might be 
divinely guided to establish institutions, for the 
advancement of his kingdom, which had been in 
existence long before. It can truly be said that 
God gave institutions and customs to the He¬ 
brews that were long in vogue among surround¬ 
ing peoples. So the fact that God gave to 
Moses a Sabbath does not intimate its primal 
origin then and there. The heathen Sabbath 
was observed centuries before the Hebrews had 
a beginning. Indeed, the inspired word leads 


49 


50 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

to that conclusion; for, before any Sinaitic com¬ 
mand was given, the Hebrews were commanded 
to gather a double portion of manna on the 
sixth day, as the seventh was the Sabbath on 
which they must rest. 1 This clearly reveals to 
us the observance of a Sabbath among the chosen 
people before any divine commandment was given 
to them. 

It must not be forgotten that the founder of 
this religion, and the spiritual father of the 
Hebrews, came from a country where this sacred 
day was highly revered. The fact is, that the 
birthplace of the Israelites, the City of Ur, had 
a great temple dedicated to Sin, the moon-god, 
and was a great centre of moon-worship. When 
Abraham entered the bounds of Canaan, the 
tribes of this land were already in possession of 
a Sabbath. When the Israelites sojourned in 
Egypt, they found a Sabbath there. All the 
people with whom they came in contact were 
Sabbath-keepers, or had a holy day. 

The fruits of research by Egyptologists and As- 
syriologists have shown us that the Hebrews were 
copyists and imitators in language, customs, and 
in many religious practices and beliefs. “There 
was an outer and inner court,” writes a scholarly 
1 Ex. xvi. 22, 23. 


Relation of Hebrews to Neighboring Tribes. 51 

authority referring to the Assyro-Babylonian tem¬ 
ple, “and a shrine to which the priests alone 
had access. In this was an altar approached by 
steps, as well as an ark or coffer, containing two 
inscribed tablets of stone, such as were discovered 
Mr. Rassam in the temple of Balawat.” 1 The 
same authority says: “ Besides the Sabbath already 
spoken of, the Babylonians and Assyrians had 
various festivals and feasts on which certain rites 
had to be performed and certain sacrifices offered; 
they know of the “ peace offering ” and the 
“heave offering,” of the dedication of the first 
born, and of sacrifices for sin. The gods were 
carried in procession in “ ships ” which, as we 
learn from sculpture, resemble in form the Hebrew 
ark, and were borne on men’s shoulders by means 
of staves. In front of the image of the god, 
stpod a table on which shewbread was laid, and 
a distinction was drawn between meal offering 
and animal sacrifices. Certain unclean kinds 
of food were forbidden, including the “ flesh of 
swine ” and “ creeping things,” and in the outer 
courts of the temple were large lavers called 
“ seas,” like the “ sea ” of Solomon’s temple, in 
which the worshippers were required to cleanse 
themselves. Many of these regulations and rites 
1 Assyria, its Princes, Priests and People, p. 74. 


52 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

came down from the Accadian period.” 1 This 
and other works tell us that holy cities, holy 
places, cities of refuge, sin offerings, thank offer¬ 
ings, incense, dedication of the first bom to gods, 
tithing, circumcision, priests and their peculiar 
dress, shewbread placed before the god, the “ sea ” 
where ablutions were performed in the court of 
the temple, the ark containing two tablets of 
stone, the mercy-seat where the gods dwelt or 
sat, etc., were long instituted, and were white 
with age before the light dawned upon the first 
beginnings of the Israelitish nation. The Sacred 
Scripture is authority for asserting that the 
Hebrews first chose kings because other nations 
had them. They adopted the time-reckoning of 
other nations. They employed the calendar of 
Canaan, while in that land, and commenced the 
year in the fall. When they entered Babylon as 
captives, they followed their style and began the 
year in the spring. When under the Greeks 
they measured time like that of the Seleucidae. 
They even worshipped the gods of other peoples. 
After the Exodus they did not travel far before 
they manufactured the “golden calf” and bowed 
down to it in worship. Frequently we are told 
of the Israelites worshipping the sun, moon, and 
1 First Light from Ancient Monuments, p. 65. 


Relation of Hebrews to Neighboring Tribes. 53 

stars. In one instance Jeremiah records that they 
worshipped the “ queen of heaven ” 1 (moon) and 
poured out drink unto other gods. This was 
practised by Israel including the people, princes, 
and kings, not only those living but their fathers 
also. Ezekiel says concerning the Children of 
Israel, “ Neither did they forsake the idols of 
Egypt.” According to this prophet Israel never 
forsook their idols either in Egypt, the Wilder¬ 
ness or the land of Canaan. 2 Nor is this the 
only charge, for the Psalmist echoes a similar 
complaint, “ They mingled themselves with the 
nations, and learned their works: and they served 
their idols ; which became a snare unto them ; 
yea, they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto 
demons, and shed innocent blood, even the blood 
of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed 
unto the idols of Canaan.” 3 The Exilian Prophet 
chides them for transgressing the law of God and 
says, “ Their eyes were after their fathers’ idols.” 
This same prophet does not stop with that, but 
charges them with sacrificing their first born by 
fire to the gods: “And I polluted them in their 
own gifts, in that they caused to pass through 
the fire, all that openeth the womb.” 4 To such 

1 Jer. xliv. 17. 3 Ps. cvi. 35-38. 

2 Ez. 20 chap. 4 Ez. xx. 26. 


54 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

an extent did they copy after other people in the 
object of worship that every city had its own 
special god. “For according to the number of 
thy cities are thy gods, O Judah ; and according 
to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have 
ye set up altars to the shameful thing, even altars 
to burn incense unto Baal.” 1 They swore not 
by Jehovah, but by the gods of surrounding 
people. 

The Scriptures then tell us that they appointed 
kings in imitation of other nations; bowed down 
to the gods of Babylon, Canaan and Egypt; 
worshipped the sun, moon and stars; sacrificed 
their first born children to be burned in the fire 
in honor of Baal; and finally swore by the gods 
of the heathens. All of this signifies how deeply 
the Israelites were impressed with the customs 
and habits of those with whom they mingled. 

The Babylonians not only had a seventh day 
Sabbath, but a Sabbatic month and a Sabbatic 
year. The statement is made in Sayce’s new 
work, entitled “ Patriarchal Palestine,” that the 
Hebrews even surrendered their language and 
adopted that of the Canaanites when they entered 
the Promised Land. We might expect just the 
same thing from a tribe of unlettered, roving 
1 Jer. xi. 13. 


Relation of Hebrews to Neighboring Tribes. 55 

nomads as they came among settled peoples, who 
had fixed customs, habits, and institutions. 

The names of the Jewish months are Babylonian 
words and were not adopted till the Captivity. 
Before this the sacred day was designated by 
numerals and was called the Seventh Day. The 
new moon as well as the Sabbath was a special 
holy day with the Hebrews, but after the Cap¬ 
tivity it lost its sacred significance. Why was 
the new moon as sacred as the Sabbath when 
there was nothing specially Jewish occurring on 
the day to stamp it with special reverence? Be¬ 
cause it was borrowed from a different people. 

Prof. Cornell’s statement is pertinent here. 
He says, “ The Sabbath, which the ancient Baby¬ 
lonians had, and which was designated as a ‘ day 
of recreation for the heart,’ and the three great 
yearly festivals of the Passover, of the Weeks, 
and of the Tabernacles, are borrowed from the 
Canaanites; while the holy places of worship, 
Bethel, Dan, Gilgal, Beersheba, Sichem and 
Gibeon, Shiloh and Ramah, and others are all 
adopted outright from the Canaanites.” 1 

These facts, together with similar statements of 
historians and students in Oriental research, lead 
us to the inference that the first idea of a Seventh 
1 The Prophets of Israel, p. 26. 


56 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

Day was obtained by the Hebrews from surround¬ 
ing peoples, particularly the Babylonians and 
Canaanites. The Sabbath is not less divine be¬ 
cause a sacred day was known before. The 
rainbow was known before the flood, but a new 
significance was read into it at that time. So 
the Seventh Day was known before the time of 
the Hebrews, but God put a new meaning into 
it for them and made it the distinctly Jewish 
Sabbath . 


Development of Seventh Day of Hebrews . 57 


CHAPTER II. 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SEVENTH DAY OF 
THE HEBREWS. 

If we examine the Old Testament writings, 
it will be seen that the Jewish sacred Sabbath 
is a development covering a long period of time. 
It is fitting at this time to trace the progress of 
its evolution in the history of the Jewish nation. 
It is necessary first to ascertain the nature and 
extent of the first Sabbatic law, given to the 
Israelites, and also its date; but here we are met 
with difficulties on every side, when we treat 
the text as it now stands. As the books of 
the Pentateuch are now arranged, they are not 
in chronological order; neither do some parts 
of the same book harmonize. There are plainly 
two accounts of creation. 1 In the first creation- 
story, the manner of creation is by word of 
mouth; in the second, all things are produced 
from the ground. The order in the first is, light, 
1 Gen. i. 1-ii. 4 a. ; ii. 4 fr-25. 


58 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

firmament, land, vegetation, heavenly bodies, fish, 
fowl, creeping things, beasts of the field, and 
man; the order in the second is, man, vegetation, 
beasts of the field, fowls of the air, and woman. 
In the first story God is called “ Elohim,” and in 
the second story he is called “Yahweh (Jehovah) 
Elohim.” This could be extended to greater 
length, but the above will suffice to verify our 
statements. There are two different stories of 
the flood. In one account the waters prevailed 
forty days and forty nights; 1 in the other account 
they prevailed one hundred and fifty days. 2 In 
the first account the animals went into the ark 
two by two; 3 in the other account they went in 
seven by seven, etc. 4 There are two decalogues, 
the wording of which are entirely different. One 
decalogue is found in Exodus, twentieth chapter, 
with which we are all familiar from our contact 
with it in the prayer-book, church rituals, etc., 
the other decalogue is found in Exodus, thirty- 
fourth chapter. There are also two different 
accounts of the dividing of the Red Sea. In 
Exodus xiv: 21, the east wind, blowing all night, 
drove the waters back, thus making dry land 
appear, so that the Israelites could pass through. 


1 Gen. vii. 12 ; viii. 6. 

2 Gen. vii. 24; viii. 3. 


8 Gen. vi. 19. 
4 Gen. vii. 2. 


Development of Seventh Day of Hebrews. 59 

In the next verse we are told the waters were a 
wall on the right hand and on the left hand. 
These are some of the many things that lead us 
to infer that there was more than one hand at 
work in the composition of the Hexateuch, or 
the first six books of the Bible. 

The only hypothesis that will answer these 
difficulties satisfactorily and enable us to lay a 
scientific foundation, is what is called the docu¬ 
mentary hypothesis as held by the consensus of 
Hebrew exegetes. The advocates of this theory 
hold the view that the books of Moses and Joshua 
are a compilation of at least four different docu¬ 
ments, put together and then wrought over into 
its present shape by men called Redactors. The 
new Polychrome Bible shows these different docu¬ 
ments in different colors and presents to the eye 
the records in their original form. As this is 
the most tenable theory and has nearly all com¬ 
petent scholars supporting it, we will use this 
Bible to examine the testimony of the law, the 
prophets, and historic writings, for the rise and 
perfection of the Sabbatic institution. It would 
be entirely foreign to the purpose of this work to 
enter into an elaborate discussion of these docu¬ 
ments, giving all the reasons for such a theory, 
showing how their age was determined, the num- 


60 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

ber of documents, etc. For such information, 
besides the Polychrome Bible, the reader is re¬ 
ferred to works like Washington Gladden’s “Who 
wrote the Bible ? ” B. W. Bacon’s “ Genesis of 
Genesis,” C. A. Briggs’s “ Higher Criticism of the 
Hexateuch,” and for a more extensive examina¬ 
tion of the' question, the writings of Driver, 
Wellhausen and Kuenen are recommended. 

In the examination of the law, we find the 
earliest Code in Exodus belonging to the Jeho- 
vistic or “J” document, dating after b. c. 850. 
This Code, called “ The Little Book of the Cove¬ 
nant,” says concerning the Sabbath: “ Six days 
shalt thou work, but on the Seventh Day thou 
shalt rest; in plowing time and harvest time, 
thou shalt rest.” 1 It is vaguely hinted that it 
was in plowing time and harvest time this com¬ 
mandment was specially applicable. It is easy to 
see the reason for this. In the early period of 
the nation’s existence, it was only “in plowing 
time and harvest time ” that there was any kind 
of laborious work performed. The remainder of 
the time was to them a continual rest, as watch¬ 
ing flocks involved no real labor and would call 
for as much attention on the Seventh Day as any 
other. This command was evidently given some 
1 Ex. xxxiv. 21. 


Development of Seventh Day of Hebrews. 61 

time after the Israelites had entered Canaan, for 
plowing and harvesting refer only to a settled and 
an agricultural people, and would not be given in 
the wilderness when they were fed by God with 
daily manna. 

The next reference in point of time, to the 
Sabbath, is found in the code contained in Exodus 
xx. 22-xxiii. 33. This is the Elohistic or “E” 
document, because the divine Being is called 
“Elohim,” and dates about B. c. 750. Here 
they are told to work six days and rest the 
seventh; not only themselves, but their oxen and 
asses; not only in plowing time and harvest time, 
but all the time. 

The next step in the development of the Sev¬ 
enth Day, is taken in the Deuteronomic or the 
“ D ” document, dating about B. c. 622. This 
document explains that the Seventh Day is the 
Sabbath of the Lord, and then states why they 
are to observe it. “ Thou shalt remember that 
thou wast a servant in Egypt,” and also, “the 
Lord thy God brought thee out thence by a 
mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: there¬ 
fore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep 
the Sabbath Day,” 1 are forcible reasons to secure 
obedience. According to this code it was simply 


62 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

a memorial day, but it is an advance on what 
preceded. Here the Sabbath is claimed to have 
come into existence after the Israelites had crossed 
the Red Sea. This document is the first to give 
a reason for its observance. 

A still later statement uttered by Ezekiel is 
found in the period of the Exile. The prophet 
impresses upon his people the words of the Lord, 
“ I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between 
me and them, that they may know that I am the 
Lord that sanctify them ? ” 1 At this time they 
were in captivity in Babylon without temple, sac¬ 
rifices, offerings, etc., but there was one thing 
that could be and was maintained in this strange 
land, and that was the Sabbath. Ezekiel made 
the Sabbath at this time the fundamental insti¬ 
tution of Judaism. It was the one sign by which 
the Jews showed their loyalty to God. This is a 
new conception added to that of a memorial day. 
It now begins to take on a sacred character, that 
is, having special connection with God. 

The final step towards the perfection of the 
Jewish Sabbath is found in the first creation story 
of Genesis. This is called the Priestly or “ P ” 
document and dates about b. c. 450. The teach¬ 
ing of this document is, that they were to work 
1 Ezek. xx. 12. 


Development of Seventh Day of Hebrews. 63 

six days because God worked six days in the 
creation of the world, and rest the seventh be¬ 
cause God rested the Seventh Day from his work. 
The Sabbath in the Levitical law belongs to this 
document; so also does the second part of the 
Sabbatic commandment contained in the *\E ” 
decalogue. The reason is altogether different 
from that given before. The Jews have now 
returned from Captivity and are settled down in 
their old home with the temple and its outfit as 
before. The sign between God and Israel, in 
the Exile, is inadequate now as they have many 
signs in the form of the temple, sacrifices, in¬ 
cense, and holy times. The tradition of God resting 
after the creation of the world, was finally identi¬ 
fied with the weekly rest. Obedience was now 
secured by emphasizing the rest of God as an 
example to man. The Sabbath at last became 
a fully developed divine institution. It at this 
time assumed a sacred character which it did not 
have before they were deported to Babylon. Our 
examination of the law then shows us that the 
holy day was first given to the Israelites, as a law 
some time after b. c. 850, in a very crude form, but 
it grew in sanctity until shortly before B. c. 450, 
when it received its finishing touches. The reason 
for observing it was changed from time to time till 


64 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

its completion as a legal statue eighty-five years 
after the Exile. 

In sifting the testimony of the prophets, the 
strange fact greets us, that no mention is made 
of the Sabbath at all by the earliest prophets. 
Elisha and Elijah each fail to remind their hearers 
“ to remember the Sabbath day.” If such a com¬ 
mand were in existence, how could they fail to 
urge upon the people its faithful observance. Its 
first mention by the prophets was by Amos: 
“ When will the new moon be gone, that we may 
sell corn ? and the Sabbath, that we may set forth 
wheat ? 1 ” Here not only did they abstain from 
work on the Sabbath, but also on the new moon. 
Also Hosea, who wrote not long after this date, 
says: “I will also cause all her mirth to cease, 
her feast days, her new moons, and her Sabbaths, 
and all her solemn assemblies.” 2 According to 
this prophet the Sabbath was a day of joy, mirth, 
and festivity; so also was the new moon. Isaiah 
wrote in this complaining strain: “ Bring no more 
vain oblations; incense is an abomination to me; 
new moon and Sabbath, the calling gf assemblies, 
— I cannot away with iniquity, and the solemn 
meeting.” 3 

The Exilian prophets follow in chronological 
1 Amos viii. 5. 2 Hos. ii. 11. » Isa. i. 13, 14. 


Development of Seventh Day of Hebrews. 65 

order. This class, which includes Jeremiah, 
Ezekiel and II. Isaiah, all express an acquaintance 
with ijhe Sabbath. The keeping of the day is 
commanded and its violation is denounced. Jere¬ 
miah gives specific directions not to bear any 
burden on the Sabbath day, and exhorts the 
people to “ Sanctify the Sabbath to do no work 
thereon.” Isaiah points out the importance of 
Sabbath keeping. The prophets of the post-exilian 
period say but little about the Sabbath simply be¬ 
cause they went to the other extreme and observed 
the Sabbath too literally, therefore needing no 
special exhortation. It was only the prophets of 
the Babylonian Captivity that emphasized Sabbath 
keeping. The prophets before the Captivity did 
not lay stress upon the holy day, nor provide a 
penalty for its violation. The only solution is 
that the Sabbath Day was not known to them as 
an institution of God, but only as a relic of a 
heathen custom. It is true the new moon was 
known to them as well as the Sabbath, and one 
was as sacred as the other, but at this time the 
Sabbath had not received its divine sanction, nor 
was its observance compulsory. The study of 
the prophets then brings out the fact that the 
first mention of the Sabbath was in the time of 
Amos, and that its sanctity was not developed 


66 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

until after the Exile, when the institution was 
perfected. 

The references to the Sabbath in the historic 
books are few in number. The Sabbath does not 
appear in the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 
I. Samuel, II. Samuel, and I. Kings. The first 
reference is found in II. Kings about the middle of 
the ninth century. Chronicles records the fact of 
a Sabbath as well as the new moon in the time 
of Solomon, but it does not appear that there was 
a divine law back of it. Job, in enumerating the 
duties in regard to which he had been faithful, 
completely ignored Sabbath keeping. Nehemiah 
rebukes the nobles for profaning the Sabbath, and 
ordered the gates of the city to be shut to prevent 
traders from entering and polluting the sacredness 
of the day. Thus the testimony of the law, 
prophets, and historians unite in making note of 
the Sabbath as a law not far from the middle of 
the ninth century before the Christian era. If it 
were known to them as an institution based upon a 
commandment of God, it was inexcusably violated 
without a warning voice from God or any of his 
prophets. Such a condition would be 'well nigh 
impossible if it were regarded as of divine origin. 
The following cases indicate the conception that 
was entertained for the Sabbath before the Exile. 


Development of Seventh Day of Hebrews. 67 

In Joshua it states that Jericho, when besieged, 
was encompassed seven days in succession which 
included a Sabbath. It scarcely seems possible 
that Joshua, who trusted so much to God’s direc¬ 
tion, would continue his siege on the Sabbath, 
being aware of a divine law which said “ Thou 
shalt do no manner of work on the Sabbath day ” ; 
again David was on the march for more than 
seven days — about nine or ten days — in succes¬ 
sion without a rest day, which would not have 
occurred, had he been instructed in a Seventh Day 
commandment. 1 Furthermore, when the kings of 
Israel, Judah, and Edom commenced military 
operations against the king of Moab, the record 
says, they made “A circuit of seven days’ jour¬ 
ney.” 2 This must have included a Sabbath which 
was treated like the other days in their march to 
attack the enemy. The king of Judah at this 
time was Jehoshaphat, concerning whom the 
Scripture states : “ He did right in the sight of 
the Lord.” 3 Now if he knew of the obligation of 
a holy rest and violated it, it could not be said 
“He did right in the sight of the Lord.” It is 
inconceivable also, how the plot to crown Jehoash 
by force of arms, assisted by the priest, Jehoida, 
could have been carried out on a holy day in the 
1 Sam. xxx. chap. 2 2 Kings iii. 9. 8 1 Kings xxii. 43. 


68 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

face of a divine command, without a stern rebuke 
from some quarter for such an outrageous dese¬ 
cration of the Sabbath. 1 Here was a rebellion 
plotted, the king crowned, and Athaliah murdered 
with her followers, all on the Sabbath Day. Yet 
of this king it is said, “ He did right in the sight 
of the Lord all his days.” 2 The only inference 
is that the observance of the Sabbath, as a divine 
injunction, was not known to the Hebrews at that 
time. 

These scattered citations, with many others not 
referred to, clearly establish the fact that the 
day, to the Jews before the middle of the ninth 
century, and even to the Exile, had no special 
Jewish or sacred significance; in other words, 
the observance of the day was not based on a 
divine command, but rather on a custom of the 
tribes among whom they settled. This largely 
explains the silence pertaining to the day by the 
historical writers, the law and the prophets, before 
the time of Amos. 

It is a remarkable fact that the first record of 
the Sabbath by prophets and historians is in con¬ 
nection with the new moon. In the Old Testa¬ 
ment (including the Apocrypha) the new moon 
and Sabbath are mentioned together eighteen 
1 2 Kings xi. chap. 2 2 Kings xii. 2. 


Development of Seventh Day of Hebrews . 69 

times. According to the evidences, some would 
think that the new moon was held in greater 
honor than the Sabbath. In Ezekiel, the burnt 
offerings for the Sabbath were six lambs and one 
ram; on the new moon it was one bullock, six 
rams, and one lamb. 1 According to this the new 
moon was honored more than the Sabbath, for there 
is an excess of one bullock in favor of the new 
moon. The temple gate of the inner court was shut 
six days, but was open not only on the Sabbath but 
also on the new moon. On these days the people 
assembled before the gate for the purpose of wor¬ 
ship. 2 When the new moon and Sabbath are con¬ 
nected, the new moon refers to the first day of the 
month and the Sabbath to the seventh, the four¬ 
teenth and the twenty-first days of the month. No 
one before the exilian prophets condemned Sabbath 
breaking. They hallowed the day by resting from 
ordinary labor. Their worship consisted mainly 
in sacrifices which were double that on ordinary 
days. It was not till after the middle of the 
ninth century that a command was given to the 
Israelites, and from that time it began to take on 
a Jewish character; this continued till the priestly 
writer finally connected it with the creative rest 
of God, which was the crowning act in the per- 
1 Eze. xlvi. 4, 6. 2 Eze. xlvi. 2, 3. 


TO Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

fection of the Jewish Sabbath. Its period of 
development stretches in round number from B.c. 
850 to about b.c. 450. It was then nationalized 
by the Jew and invested with a divine character. 

A question will arise here in the minds of 
thinking Christians which demands of us a brief 
explanation to allay any doubt or misunderstand¬ 
ing. The question is, Did Moses give the law? 
We have no doubt that Moses gave the nucleus 
of the law, but not a completed law. At first 
there was a crude beginning which served as a 
nucleus for later additions. This was handed 
down from one generation to another by word 
of mouth. Additions were made to this from 
time to time by the priests and prophets, all com¬ 
ing under the name of Moses. The Psalms of 
David are a parallel. At the end of the Seventy- 
second Psalm it is stated that the prayers or 
psalms of David are ended; but after this, we 
find many psalms called the “ Psalms of David.” 
These are additions made at a later date, but all 
represented as the “ Psalms of David.” So also 
in regard to Proverbs. The introduction conveys 
the idea that the following proverbs are those of 
Solomon, but proverbs of Agur and King Lemuel, 
are mentioned, and all popularly called “ Proverbs 
of Solomon.” So likewise, Moses gave the chil- 


Development of Seventh Day of Hebrews . 71 

dren of Israel some directions and commands, 
which afterwards received additions, and all are 
denominated the “ Law of Moses.” The “ Little 
Code of laws ” found in Exodus, 34th chapter, is 
the nearest approach to the laws as they came 
from the hand of Moses. Yet some of the laws 
of this document belong to a later period than 
that of Moses, for instance the command referring 
to “ resting in plowing time and harvest time,” 1 
implying a settled agricultural people, which was 
after the days of Moses; also the command direct¬ 
ing the Hebrews to “appear three times every 
year before the Lord ” 2 at Jerusalem, indicating 
a time when Jerusalem was the great religious 
centre, which was over three centuries after Moses’ 
time; furthermore the command not to worship 
or make graven or molten images must have been 
later than the age of Moses, for we are told in 
II. Kings that Moses’ brazen serpent was wor¬ 
shipped by the Israelites till the time of Hezekiah, 
when he destroyed it. 3 Micah, who was a man of 
God, also worshipped graven and molten images, 
which he made himself, but they were taken from 
him by the Danites who coveted them, and set 
them up and kept them “ all the time that the 
house of the Lord was at Shiloh.” This was 
1 Ex. xxxiv. 21. 2 Ex. xxxiv. 23. 8 2 Kings xviii. 4. 


72 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

done without rebuke from God or any divine 
messenger. « 

With these few exceptions this earliest law 
book, the Little Book of the Covenant, contained 
a portion of the law as it came from Moses, and 
which formed the nucleus of the whole pentateu- 
chal legislation. 

Summarizing we have the following: When the 
Hebrews settled in Palestine they adopted directly 
the Canaanitish religious customs, including the 
Seventh Day. This was a lunar feast day, a joy 
day, a day in which ordinary work was laid aside 
for fear of offending the lunar god. This holy 
day together with the new moon was loosely ob¬ 
served simply from force of custom, till about 
B.c. 850, or a little later, when a command was 
given to the Hebrews to observe it, especially 
in plowing time and harvest time. About a cen¬ 
tury later, we find another code containing a com¬ 
mandment to observe the Seventh Day all the 
time. To the Hebrews the day at first was sim¬ 
ply a rest day for the special benefit of the phys¬ 
ical constitution. The command was merely 
advisory without any penalty connected with it. 
In the reign of Josiah another law was promul¬ 
gated, which presented a new motive for keeping 
the Sabbath. This law tries to secure obedience 


Development of Seventh Day of Hebrews. 73 

by making it a memorial of the deliverance of the 
Israelites from the Egyptians. It is now a memo¬ 
rial day. After they were taken into Exile, Eze¬ 
kiel stamps it as a “ sign ” between God and 
Israel. It was now a sign day. A century later 
they were to rest because God rested the Seventh 
Day after his creative work. It now takes the 
nature of an example day , that is a day to follow 
the example of God. It is in this period that we 
find a fully developed sacred Seventh Day Sab¬ 
bath. From this time on Judaism developed in 
the direction of legalism until it assumed the char¬ 
acter of the Rabbinical Sabbath. 


74 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 


CHAPTER III. 

THE SABBATH IN THE CREATION STORY. 

The title of this chapter calls up a question 
which must be settled before we proceed further 
in our investigation of the subject. It is this: 
Was the account of the Sabbath in the first crea¬ 
tion story of Genesis an arbitrary statement, a 
poetical composition, or must it be taken literally 
as historic truth? 

It is essential to get a clear grasp of the truth as 
expressed in the Bible regarding the creation Sab¬ 
bath. “ And on the seventh day,” the text reads, 
“ God finished his work which he had made ; and 
rested the seventh day from all his work which he 
had made. 1 And God blessed the seventh day and 
hallowed it; because that in it he had rested from 
all his work which God had created and made.” 
God simply rested from his work on the Seventh 
Day and blessed it. It was only on that par¬ 
ticular day that God rested, and not on any other 
1 Gen. ii. 2, 3. 


The Sabbath in the Creation Story. 75 

or succeeding Seventh Day. No command is here 
given to any human being to observe, nor can it 
in any legitimate way be construed as a command 
applicable then or since. Of what use would a 
command be at the beginning, seeing that human 
kind did not “ call upon the name of the Lord,” 1 
or in other words worship God, for a long time 
after. The substance of the text is the historic 
statement that God rested from His work the 
Seventh Day of his creation; at least the wording 
evidently reveals the above conception as the 
mind of the author, and we must not read any¬ 
thing else into it. And because he rested, “ God 
blessed and hallowed it.” This additional phrase 
does not in any way change the meaning. “To 
bless ” here simply means, to praise, as in the 
passage, “ Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and all 
that is within me bless his holy name.” To 
hallow in this case is to honor; as in the passage, 
“ Hallowed be thy name.” For God then to look 
with feeling of honor and praise towards a stated 
day, the day he rested after creation, does in no 
way involve a commandment to man to rest every 
seventh solar day afterwards. The record itself 
claims that no Sabbath was given to the Israelites 
before Exodus. The following texts throw addi- 


i Gen. iv. 26. 


76 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

tional light. “ So I caused them to go forth out 
of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the 
wilderness. And I gave them my statutes and 
showed them my judgments, which if any man do 
he shall live in them. Moreover also I gave them 
my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, 
that they might know that I am the Lord that 
sanctify them.” 1 The wording will not sustain 
any other meaning than that the Sabbath was 
given after their departure from Egypt. “ Thou 
earnest also down upon Mount Sinai, and spakest 
with them from heaven, and gavest them righteous 
judgments and true laws, good statutes and com¬ 
mandments : and madest known unto them thy 
holy Sabbath.” 2 These passages cannot be inter¬ 
preted in any other way than that the Sabbath 
was given after the Exodus and not at the crea¬ 
tion of the world. 

Another fact implied in the text is that the 
author had in mind a day of twenty-four hours. 
The priestly writer seems to claim that the work¬ 
ing and resting of God is a model to us. Some 
claim the day refers to an epoch of time. How 
could the seventh epoch of time obligate any one 
to rest the seventh day, any more than the seventh 
hour, seventh week, seventh month, or seventh 
1 Eze. xx. 10, 11, 12. 2 Nell. ix. 13, 14. 


The Sabbath in the Creation Story. 77 

year? Why should God require epochs of time 
to create, when all He had to do was to speak the 
word and it was done. If periods of time are 
referred to, then from what point was the first 
twenty-four hours reckoned ? When did He com¬ 
mence the recurring seven-day week ? When we 
consider that each day had an evening and morn¬ 
ing, consisting of daylight and darkness, and that 
the sun ruled the day and the moon the night, we 
must concede the author had in mind a day of 
twenty-four hours. From the context, it is im¬ 
possible to doubt that the day from the standpoint 
of the writer was similar to our day. We do not 
say that this creation day is scientific, but it was 
at least the author’s view of the matter. 

Again we are told that God finished His work 
on the Sabbath Day: “And on the seventh day 
God ended his work which he had made.” 1 It 
would seem by this, that God did not end His 
work on the sixth day; but on the seventh day; 
therefore He must have worked a part of the holy 
day. However this is not a serious objection 
though it does represent another account. 

It is certainly evident that the account was not 
written from the standpoint of science but from 
that of a Babylonian. The earth is pictured to us 


1 Gen. ii. 2. 


78 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

as the centre of the universe, and the sun, moon 
and stars as little lights, passing under the dome 
above, to serve the purpose of the earth’s inhabi¬ 
tants. Even the sun, it is claimed, was created 
on the fourth day of the earth’s existence. The 
day commenced with the evening, because the 
new moon, commencing the month, appears at 
first in the evening. The waters were separated 
into an upper and lower plane with a firmament 
and an earth between; that above shows itself 
during a rain, and is expressed in the words “ the 
windows of heaven were opened,” and that below 
appears when the water bubbles up out of the 
ground in the form of a spring. The Sacred 
Word tells of water-chambers above, from which 
God “waters the hills.” 1 These chambers were 
supported by pillars which God bears up. 2 This 
leads us to the conclusion that the writer is not 
speaking from the standpoint of absolute truth 
but from the view of the people with whom 
he lived. It was the infancy of the human race 
and their ideas were naturally very crude. God 
is represented to us as resting and “was re¬ 
freshed” 3 after his work of creation. But why 
should the author say this, when God in the act 
of creation only spoke the word and it was done 
1 Ps. civ. 13. 2 Ps. lxxv. 3 ; civ. 3. 8 Ex. xxxi. 17. 


The Sabbath in the Creation Story. 79 

instantly. God said, “ Let there be light and 
there was light.” Such statements of belief com¬ 
port with the mind in the infant stages of the 
race. It is true notwithstanding that God can 
voice himself through such men; and indeed did 
speak “ through holy men of old,” though they 
were without scholastic training. It must not be 
forgotten that divine enlightenment does not do 
away with one’s limitations or personality. In¬ 
spiration is defined as “ The human enforced by 
the divine Spirit manifesting itself in excellence 
of various kinds and degrees, but especially in 
extraordinary, though not infallible insight into 
the nature and purposes of God.” 1 Inspiration 
did not transform John into Peter,, or Peter into 
John ; it did not make them perfect in all things 
or infallible in any particular. Inspiration did 
not do away with the learning of Paul, it simply 
enforced what he had; so that he was all the 
better equipped for the conflict with the Greek 
philosophers. Inspiration by no means makes one 
infallible in all points of knowledge. There is 
unity among intelligent and consecrated men of 
God when it comes to spiritual principles, but on 
other matters there may be difference of opinion. 
Paul and Barnabas differed about taking Mark 
i Inspiration of the Old Testament by Prof. H. G. Mitchell. 


80 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

with them on their second journey and separated 
from one another. Paul gives his own judgment 
concerning marriage, which may be right and may 
not. 1 Matthew quotes a text from Jeremiah, but 
the margin tells us the prophecy is in Zechariah. 2 
Ezekiel prophesies the destruction of Tyre by 
Nebuchadrezzar, but he failed to destroy it, and 
then Ezekiel confesses his mistake and a recom¬ 
pense is offered. 3 This is regarded as a mistake 
of the prophet in the divine intention, though it 
in no way discredits his inspiration. The prophet 
Nathan gave David certain directions, but the 
next morning he withdrew them and gave him a 
different message. Once Jeremiah had to wait 
ten days before he could find out what the will 
of God was. 4 These examples clearly show that 
holy men may be inspired of God and yet are 
limited in knowledge and wisdom. 

The author of the first chapter of Genesis 
endeavors with the resources which he had at 
hand, to give his views of the origin of the Sab¬ 
bath. Research for the last twenty-five years in 
connection with Babylon has brought to light 
things which wouki serve as material for perfects 
ing the Sabbatic institution. George Smith re- 

1 1 Cor. vii. 25. 8 Ezek. xxvi. 7 ; xxix. 17 f. 

2 Matt, xxvii. 9. * Jer. xlii. 7. 


The Sabbath in the Creation Story. 81 

marks “ The account of the creation in six days 
was not the only account among the inhabitants 
of Assyria and Babylonia.” 1 Seven tablets have 
been found each representing a step in the process 
of creation. This sacred writer evidently identi¬ 
fied the days of the week with the seven tablets 
of creation found with the Babylonians. It seems 
to be a case of parallelism. The Sabbath Day 
was to the writer of Genesis in existence from 
time immemorial; there was not a time, to his 
view, that the Sabbath did not exist. Seeing its 
great antiquity and that it met a need in the 
progress of humanity; and observing how nearly 
all peoples readily adopted the seven-day division 
rather than any other, and the traditions in Baby¬ 
lonia regarding the seven tablets or seven days 
representing creation, he came to the conclusion 
from these facts that the Sabbath must have been 
originated by God in the beginning of the world. 
Interpreting the mind of God as best he could, he 
endeavored with the command of limited material 
and information, to account in a minute way for 
its origin. In the same manner, the Biblical 
writer sees the divine institution of marriage, and 
tries to account for its origin in the tradition that 
woman was produced from a rib or the side of a 
1 Chaldean Genesis by Smith. 


82 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

man, on which account she was therefore to obey 
him, etc. 

Likewise the mission of language is believed to 
be divine; the writer attempts to give its origin, 
and then follows with the story of the confusion 
of tongues while the race was building a tower 
to heaven. Now we are told that languages have 
grown and developed like a tree. The words 
of Max Muller puts the matter in a nutshell: 
“ Every child now learns at school that English 
is an Aryan or Indo-European language, that it 
belongs to the Teutonic branch, and that this 
branch, together with the Italic, Greek, Celtic, 
Slavonic, Iranic and Indie branches all spring 
from the same stock and form together the great 
Aryan or Indo-European family of speech.” 1 
New languages have sprung up recently, that is 
languages written during the last thousand years. 
The Italian, French and Spanish are compara¬ 
tively new languages that have grown out of the 
Latin tongue. In the days when Rome was in 
her imperial splendor, these three languages did 
not exist. 

We neither doubt that language is divine nor 
that the Biblical writer tried to express this as 
his opinion. Language is an index of a higher 
1 What India can teach us, p. 45. 


The Sabbath in the Creation Story. 83 

nature in man; for this to be so, God must enter 
him, and show Himself in the mind and spirit. 
Without this, there would be little or no progress. 
Language is the symbol of the inflow of God into 
humanity; it is humanity’s great blessing. The 
great truth that these men of God were trying 
to impress was that of the divine origin of these 
institutions. The details of the account are not 
the important thing, as they only reflect their 
own view. The important truth is that these in¬ 
stitutions are divine, which holds good to-day as 
when first spoken. This priestly writer must cer¬ 
tainly have been inspired, to give such a simple, 
true and picturesque view of the Sabbath as 
compared with the polytheistic fairy tales and 
mythical absurdities which were current in that 
day. 

These early views of the world and institutions 
generally had a grand mission, and served the 
needs of humanity until a very recent date. In 
this day and age, science has given us clearer 
conceptions, and the old must now give way to 
the new. It is not to be understood that the 
essential thing is to be swept away. The lumi¬ 
nous star in the evening sky has been the same 
for ages ; it does not change, but men are getting 
new and better views of it. So it is with regard 


84 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

to divine things; they exist as they always have, 
but we are getting new and better views of them. 
This thought of one idea superseding another is 
beautifully suggested by Rev. George A. Gor¬ 
don, D.D. “ The universe of the ancient thinker,” 
he says, “was insignificant, almost petty, com¬ 
pared with that of the intelligent man of to-day. 
. . . Our planet was the very centre of the 
old astronomy, the biggest of all the heavenly 
bodies, the most important from all points of 
view, and the whole stellar world had its final 
cause of being in ministering to the welfare of 
the earth. The unparalleled creation hymn with 
which the Book of Genesis opens is based on the 
old astronomy. It could have been based on no 
other, for there was then no other. And the fact 
that it rests upon superseded science, no more 
discredits its imperishable moral and spiritual 
worth than the immense mass of outgrown opin¬ 
ion in Dante’s great poem, discredits the endur¬ 
ing splendor of that production, and its permanent 
value for mankind.” 1 Supersession is the fate of 
all science, philosophy and religion. The funda¬ 
mentals endure, but man’s view of them must 
progress toward absolute truth, as he grows in 
his intelligence and broadens in his capacity. 

1 The Christ of To-day, p. 6. 


The Sabbath in the Creation Story. 85 

As one becomes large mentally the real thing 
will have a new meaning to him. This is a uni¬ 
versal experience. God is first conceived of as 
a great giant in the sky, tabernacled in human 
form; the racial child could not think of him in 
any other way, for it had not the mental capacity 
to do so. Later on the Divine Being is thought 
of as a great King seated with royal splendor 
upon a magnificent throne, sending his angels to 
do his bidding; and lastly, God is conceived of 
as an unseen Spirit everywhere present. So like¬ 
wise the specific details about the origin of the 
Sabbath corresponded with the height of the 
mental development of the early Jews and fitted 
well with the conceptions of their age. Paul says 
that “God winked at their ignorance,” etc., im¬ 
plying that their ignorance would some day give 
way to new light and truth. When an institution 
meets the purpose of humanity in ministering to 
its welfare morally or spiritually, it is divine ; and 
when it ceases to do that, the time has come for 
it to be superseded by a nobler, higher, and moie 
helpful institution. Thus Christ put away part 
of the Mosaic law that had a “ Thus saith the 
Lord ” behind it. “ Ye have heard that it was 
to them of old time,” he said, “ Thou shalt not 
forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord 


86 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

thine oaths: but I say unto you swear not at 
all; ” 1 etc. In this sense, the Sabbath is a divine 
institution; however, the details connected with 
its origin are superseded by higher and more 
scientific views. 


1 Matt. v. 33, 34. 



Transition of Lunar to Regular Seventh Day. 87 


CHAPTER IY. 

TRANSITION FROM THE LUNAR SEVENTH DAY 
TO THE REGULAR SEVENTH DAY. 

A SHORT time ago an interesting and ingenious 
pamphlet entitled “ Saturdarian ” appeared, in 
which the claim was made that the Jewish Sab¬ 
bath occurred on certain fixed days of the month. 
So fascinating was its presentation, that a noted 
bishop declared it the greatest discovery of the 
nineteenth century. The idea of fixed Sabbaths 
among the Hebrews has been long held by He¬ 
brew exegetes and scholars versed in Oriental 
customs and institutions, but these Sabbaths took 
place at the changes of the moon. This differed 
widely from the view of Mr. Gamble, the author 
of “ Saturdarian,” whose Sabbaths were upon 
other fixed dates. Upon examination, the latter’s 
position is not borne out by facts. He first as¬ 
sumes that the Hebrews had thirty days in their 
months. This mistake alone overthrows the whole 
theory. At no time did the Hebrews have a sue- 


88 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

cession of months of thirty days each. Until some 
time in the Christian era they commenced the 
month with the appearance of the new moon, and 
ended it with the appearance of the next new 
moon. A passage in the Talmud clears away all 
doubt as to the beginning and length of the month 
“ On the thirtieth day of the moon,” says this 
book, “watchmen were placed on commanding 
heights around Jerusalem to watch the sky. As 
soon as each of them detected the moon, he 
hastened to the house of the city which was kept 
for the purpose and was examined by the presi¬ 
dent of the Sanhedrim. When the evidence of 
the appearance was deemed satisfactory, the presi¬ 
dent rose and announced it, uttering the words, 
4 It is consecrated.’ The information was imme¬ 
diately sent throughout the land from the Mount 
of Olivet by beacon fires from the tops of the 
lulls.” 1 

The conception of the thirty-day month is taken 
from the Biblical account of the deluge. On the 
17th day of the second month Noah, and all with 
him, entered the ark, 2 and on the 17th day of the 
seventh month the ark rested on Mount Ararat. 3 
This makes exactly five months. The record goes 

1 Smith’s Bible Dictionary, p. 450. 

2 Gen. vii. 6. 3 Gen. viii. 4. 


Transition of Lunar to Regular Seventh Day. 89 

on to state that “ at the end of one hundred and 
fifty days the waters decreased.” 1 Dividing the 
number of days by five it would give just thirty 
days for each month. But this will not stand the 
test of close examination. In this record there 
are a number of fragments loosely thrown together 
and not intended to be taken as exact in all de¬ 
tails. Notice in Gen. 7: 12 it rained or prevailed 
forty daj^s and forty nights, and in the twenty- 
fourth verse of the same chapter the waters pre¬ 
vailed one hundred and fifty days. At the end 
of forty days Noah sent forth a dove out of the 
ark, and seven days after its return he sent it 
forth again and it brought back an olive leaf, 
which led Noah to conclude that the waters were 
abated from off the earth. 2 This clearly intimates 
that in forty-seven days the waters of the flood 
were dried up. In the third verse of the eighth 
chapter it says, “After the end of one hundred 
and fifty days the waters decreased.” These state¬ 
ments cannot be literally reconciled, and must be 
considered as two different versions of the deluge 
story which the author presented for our infor¬ 
mation. Looking at it in another way, it was 
after one hundred and fifty days were ended that 
the waters commenced to decrease; that is to say, 
* Gen. viii. 3. 2 Gen. viii. 11. 


90 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

it could not have been earlier than the hundred 
and fifty-first day of the flood that the ark rested; 
and this would give more than thirty days to the 
month. The context informs us the ark rested on 
the 17th day of the seventh month or the last day 
that it rained. For the ark to rest before the 
water began to dry up contradicts all the evidences 
of reason. It must have been many days before 
the waters were sufficiently abated before the ark 
could find a resting place, for it was the tenth 
month when the mountain peaks began to appear. 1 
Anyway the subject is looked at, nothing satisfac¬ 
tory regarding the length of the month can be 
arrived at. The record here is too fragmentary, 
imperfect and indefinite to be made the basis of 
such a particular theory. 

There is no evidence either that the Israelites 
copied after the model of the Egyptian months, 
as is confidently claimed by some reputable 
writers. A month of thirty days among the 
Hebrews is a statement that fails to find any facts 
to confirm its claims. The earliest reference to a 
calendar is by the book of Enoch in the second 
century before Christ. They had six months of 
thirty days and six of twenty-nine days. Galen 
of the second century after Christ, informs us they 
1 Gen. viii. 5. 


Transition of Lunar to Regular Seventh Bay . 91 

had periods of two months of fifty-nine days, one 
month haying thirty days and the other twenty- 
nine days. 1 It is an undisputed fact that until a 
short time before the Christian era, the Jews began 
the month when they first saw the new moon. 

While scholars have asserted the existence of 
lunar Sabbaths among the early Hebrews, they 
have failed to go into particulars and indicate 
when these lunar Sabbaths were changed to the 
regular seventh day of time. The task before us 
therefore is to show when the transition from the 
seventh day of the moon to the seventh day of 
the calendar took place. 

As has been pointed out, 2 the Hebrews borrowed 
largely in religious matters from other tribes with 
whom they came in contact. The author of 
Judges informs us that the Israelites married their 
sons and daughters to the Canaanites and adopted 
their religion outright. 3 Until shortly before the 
Exile the Israelites differed very little from them 
in customs, habits, and religious views. Even 
their conception of God was but slightly different 
from their conception of the gods of the nations. 
In the dispute between Jephthah and the king of 
the Ammonites over the possession of the land 

1 Jewish People in the Time of Christ, Div. 1, vol. II., p. 367. 

2 Chapter I., Part II. 8 Jud. iii. 6, 6. 


92 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 


of the Amorites, the king of Israel concluded with 
these words: “So now the Lord the God of 
Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before 
his people Israel, and shouldst thou possess them ? 
Wilt thou not possess that which Chemosh, thy 
god, giveth thee to possess ? So whomsoever the 
Lord our God hath dispossessed from before us, 
them will we possess.” 1 This text alone indicates 
that the God of Israel and the God of the Ammon¬ 
ites were both regarded as real beings, and occu¬ 
pied the same position to their respective peoples. 

Idolatry was generally practised until the time 
Israel was carried away captive into Babylon. 
The story of Micah’s idols conveys to us their 
religious conceptions and practices in the time of 
the Judges. In this instance Micah made a molten 
and graven image and had a priest to officiate. 
The Danites took them and set them up at Dan, 
and worshipped them “ all the time the house of 
God was at Shiloh.” 2 When the idol was set up 
at Dan it was the grandson of Moses who was the 
officiating priest. This was all done without the 
rebuke of a priest, prophet, or any representative 
of God. Gideon also made a golden idol and 
placed it in the city of Ophrah. 3 The Ten Tribes 
had idols placed at Dan and Bethel, of which it 

1 Jud. xi. 23, 24. 2 Jud. xviii. 31. 8 Jud. viii. 27. 


Transition of Lunar to Regular Seventh Bay. 93 

was said: “ Behold thy God, O Israel, which 
brought thee out of the land of Egypt.” 1 This 
was their religious state for two and a half cen¬ 
turies. If we consult the prophets we find accord¬ 
ing to Ezekiel that idolatry never ceased with the 
Israelites in Egypt, in the wilderness, and in the 
land of Canaan. 2 The hundred and sixth psalm 
echoes the same truth. In the reign of Hezekiah a 
reformation took place in which the King de¬ 
stroyed the brazen serpent of Moses, concerning 
which it states,For unto those days the children 
of Israel did burn incense to it.” 3 This kind of 
worship was never interfered with by any servant 
of God. Manasseh introduced the Assyrian re¬ 
ligion into the temple of Jerusalem with but little 
opposition from the people. This would have 
been literally impossible had there been much 
difference between the two systems of worship. 
Antiochus Epiphanes introduced a new religion 
into Jerusalem but it was at the expense of the 
lives of hundreds of Jews. The reason of this 
is that it was diametrically opposed to the settled 
convictions of this pious people. A reformation 
took place under King Josiah, but it produced 
but little effect upon the people, for not long 
after this event we find this statement of Jere- 
i 1 Kings xii. 28. 2 Eze. xx. 10, 13, 28. 3 2 Kings xviii. 4. 


94 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

miah regarding Judah, “According to thy cities 
are thy gods.” 1 In fact, Israel constantly wor¬ 
shipped other gods, particularly the moon, before 
the Exile. In the days immediately preceding 
the Captivity the people would not hearken to 
Jeremiah, but determined to burn incense to the 
“ queen of heaven ” (moon), made cakes to wor¬ 
ship her, and poured out drink offerings to her, etc. 
The extent of this kind of worship is gained from 
this text: “ To burn incense unto the queen of 
heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, 
as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings 
and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the 
streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of 
victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But 
since we left off to burn incense to the queen of 
heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, 
we have wanted all things, and have been con¬ 
sumed by the sword and by the famine.” 2 Here is 
a definite and significant statement that the people 
of Israel, including the princes and kings, wor¬ 
shipped the moon as did their fathers, in all the 
cities of Judah, and also in the streets of Jerusa¬ 
lem. Furthermore, the short time they were under 
the influence of Jeremiah’s teaching disaster came 
to them, and they wanted to get back to their old 
1 Jer. xi. 13. 2 Jer. xliv. 17, 18. 


Transition of Lunar to Regular Seventh Lay. 95 

ways which seemed to bring them so much pros¬ 
perity. About one hundred years before this time 
the prophet Isaiah accused the ladies of Jerusalem 
of wearing symbols of the moon upon their cloth¬ 
ing. 1 At this time such a practice had a religious 
significance, and the symbols were not simply 
ornaments worn for their beauty. 

We are without a definite literal statement that 
the Hebrew Sabbath occurred on the seventh day 
of the moon, but the evidence incidentally pre¬ 
sented in the Scriptures, leaves it no longer a mat¬ 
ter of doubt. The specific evidence in support of 
this position will now be presented. In approach¬ 
ing the subject we shall first point out a number 
of Sabbaths fixed on the new phases of the moon. 

The new-moon day was a fixed Sabbath with 
the early Hebrews. “ Blow up the trumpet in 
the new moon,” 2 says the Psalmist. The writer 
of Numbers declares this statute: “In the begin¬ 
ning of your months, ye shall blow with your 
trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the 
sacrifice of your peace offering.” The day was 
at least as sacred as the Sabbath. 3 The gate of 
the inner court was shut for six days but it was 
opened on the Sabbath and the new moon. 4 On 

1 Is. iii. 18. 8 Num. xxviii. 11. 

2 Ps. lxxxiii. 3. 4 Eze. xlvi. 1. 


96 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

these two days the people worshipped before the 
gate in the inner court. It was fitting on this 
day as well as the Sabbath to visit a prophet or 
messenger of God. In Amos the text, “ When 
will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn ? 
and the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat? ” 1 
leads us to the conclusion that work was forbid¬ 
den on the new moon as well as the Sabbath. 
The sacrifices were even greater on the new moon 
than they were on the Sabbath day, a fact indi¬ 
cating the great reverence in which the new moon 
was held. Here then are twelve Sabbaths fixed 
on the new-moon days on which it was unlawful 
to do any work. 

The next important fixed dates of the month 
are the 14th or 15th, which marks the moon at 
the full. The full-moon festival has been com¬ 
memorated in musical verse by the Psalmist in 
the words “ Blow up the trumpet ... at the full 
moon, on our solemn feast day.” 2 A hint cor¬ 
roborating the truth of the above is suggested in 
the book of Proverbs: “ The goodman is not at 
home, he is gone a long journey: he has taken a 
bag of money with him ; he will come home at 
the full moon,” 3 or more literally and properly 
the full-moon feast. 4 This feast does not refer 

1 Amos viii. 5. 2 Ps. lxxxi. 3. 3 Prov. vii. 19, 20. 

4 Inter. Critical Com. Prov. by Prof. Toy. 


Transition of Lunar to Regular Seventh Day. 97 

to the Passover, else it would have said so. It 
is the ordinary full-moon feast which occurs every 
month, and is consequently a sacred day or Sab¬ 
bath. We actually find five of these full-moon 
feasts mentioned, and the manner of its observance 
described. In the first month the Passover is 
celebrated on the full moon. Again in the second 
month the little Passover takes place on the same 
date. 1 The seventh month contains a holy day 
which falls on the 15th of the month or on the 
full moon. The Ten Tribes set their autumnal 
festival on the corresponding day of the eighth 
month. 2 In the twelfth month at the full moon 
we have another Sabbath on which occurs the 
feast of Purim. Here are five fixed Sabbaths 
occurring on the full moon. 

Sabbaths are also found on the second quarter 
of the moon or the seventh of the month. Eze¬ 
kiel records that the 1st, 7th, and the 14th were 
of a sacred character. He does not say posi¬ 
tively that they were Sabbaths, but we know that 
the 1st and 14th were days of rest, and it is 
no unwarranted inference to claim that the seventh 
was of a similar character. The seventh day of 
the third month, being the day of Pentecost, marks 
the moon when it is in the second quarter. 

2 1 Kings xii. 32. 


1 2 Chron. xxx. 2. 


98 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

On the third quarter of the moon we find fixed 
Sabbaths again. In the first month on the third 
quarter of the moon (or the 21st) is a holy day 
on which all work was forbidden. The same date 
is observed in the second month called the little 
Passover. The 22nd of the seventh month cor¬ 
responds to the third quarter of the moon and is 
a day sacredly observed. Among the Ten Tribes 
the 22nd of the next month is a day of rest. 
Here we have 31 sacred days, 30 of which were 
fixed Sabbaths set upon the changes of the moon. 
The Sabbaths including the new moon were days 
on which it was unlawful to work. We cannot 
reasonably suppose that the remaining Sabbaths 
of the possible 48 could be other than fixed Sab¬ 
baths. The thought of the Jews admitting in 
their calendar 30 fixed Sabbaths and 18 change¬ 
able Sabbaths, is too absurd to be seriously enter¬ 
tained. It is also a fact of great significance that 
in the first month the 1st, 7th, 14th, and 21st 
were sacred days. These dates indicate that the 
system in vogue was the lunar system. While 
these days maintained their prominence no other 
system would be tolerated. 

The next consideration is the connection be¬ 
tween the new moon and the Sabbath. They are 
mentioned together eighteen times in the Old 


Transition of Lunar to Regular Seventh Day. 99 

Testament. Up to the latter part of the Exile 
their relation implied an inseparable connection. 
Their intimate association implies similarity of 
origin and nature. What was allowed or forbid¬ 
den by the one, was allowed or forbidden by the 
other. Both were sacred days, as well as rest 
days, and were on a par with each other. There 
could not have been two kinds of sacredness 
attached to these festivals so closely linked to¬ 
gether. What made the one sacred made also 
the other sacred. Now we know that it was the 
new moon that made the new-moon day sacred, 
so the moon also must have made the Sabbath 
sacred. It is unreasonable to suppose, that the 
regular Seventh Day, involving a new system of 
theology, could prevail with a people so wedded 
to the “queen of heaven.” The new moon sig¬ 
nalized the beginning of the months and the Sab¬ 
baths were identified with the beginning of the 
other phases of the moon. They were all Sab¬ 
baths or rest days, but the new moon was a special 
one until after the Exile. The Sabbath was also 
called the Seventh Day because the new quarter 
of the moon fell generally on every seventh day 
of the month. Thus the new moon and the 
Sabbath was a phrase standing for lunar festivals. 
This is what they were with the Babylonians and 
L.oFC. 


100 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 


others with whom the Hebrews lived. The new 
moon was never stamped with a theocratic charac¬ 
ter, nor was the Sabbath until about the time of 
the Captivity. Indeed according to the Priestly 
writer in Exodus the Sabbath was observed before 
they received a command on Sinai. They evi¬ 
dently got it where they got the new-moon wor¬ 
ship, from other peoples who worshipped at the 
phases of the moon. 

The first intimation of a lunar Sabbath among 
the Hebrews is found in the book of Kings. The 
Shunammite, upon the death of her son, makes a 
request of her husband for a servant and an ass to 
go to a prophet to have the boy restored to life. 
The husband answered: “ Wherefore wilt thou go 
to him to day ? It is neither new moon nor sab¬ 
bath.” 1 Both of these days were holy days and 
were used in consulting with priests and prophets 
or holy men of God. Solomon built the temple 
for the purpose of offering sacrifice at the new 
moon and on the Sabbath, and also at the set 
feasts. 2 The book of Amos is the next witness 
concerning the new moon and the Sabbath. 
“ When will the new moon be gone,” it makes 
the people say, “ that we may sell corn ? and the 
Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat.” 3 Hosea 
1 2 Kings iv. 23. 2 2 Chron. ii. 4. 3 Amos viii. 6. 


Transition of Lunar to Regular Seventh Day. 101 

speaks of the new moon and the Sabbath as days 
of mirth and feasting. “ I will also cause all her 
mirth to cease, her feasts, her new moons, and her 
Sabbaths,” etc. 1 The same connection existed in 
the time of Isaiah, judging from the words, 
“ Bring no more vain oblations to me; new moon 
and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies, — I can¬ 
not,” etc. 2 Even as late as the Exile the Sabbath 
is not disassociated from the moon. This is in¬ 
ferred from the fact that the East gate of the 
inner court was shut six days but was open on 
the new moon and the Sabbath. 3 

That the Sabbath is a lunar festival is sup¬ 
ported not only by Scripture but by many of our 
modern scholars. Brittany says: “ The Sabbath 
was no doubt related to a very general Oriental 
practice as old as Yedism and Zoroastrianism and 
very early in use among the Semites, of arranging 
their religious festivals of meeting in accordance 
with the four quarters of the moon.” 4 Referring 
to the lunar origin of the ancient Sabbath, Well- 
hausen declares that, “no other explanation can 
be discovered.” 5 Tirin asserts, “The Jews ob¬ 
served the lunar system, and their months con¬ 
sisted of twenty-nine and thirty days alternately. 

1 Hos. ii. 11. 2 Isa. i. 13. 8 Ezek. xlvi. 1. 

* Judaism and Christianity, p. 34. 6 History of Israel, p. 112. 


102 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

Hence the feast of the new moon came to be 
called the thirtieth Sabbath, that is the Sabbath 
of the thirtieth day.” 1 The same truth is borne 
out by R. A. Proctor, the distinguished astrono¬ 
mer. He affirms that “ the Jewish Sabbath is the 
quarter month rest day.” 2 Ewald adds his testi¬ 
mony on this subject in the words, “We have 
already seen that the week of seven days as the 
approximate quarter of the month, has been long 
established in pre-Mosaic times both in Israel and 
many other nations.” 3 This position is also en¬ 
dorsed by such scholars as Prof. Toy, Prof. Jas- 
trow, and W. R. Smith. 

The following considerations, being a summary 
of the foregoing, are presented here showing the 
grounds for the position taken on the early 
Hebrew Sabbath. (1) We have shown that the 
Israelites adopted their religious customs, in a 
great degree or wholly, from the tribes with 
whom they were associated. (2) According to 
the Scriptures moon-worship was actually prac¬ 
ticed all over Judah a long period of time before 
the Exile. (3) The Scriptures inform us that 
the Israelites observed the new-moon day and 
also the full-moon day. (4) We also have from 

1 The Great Pyramid, p. 252. 2 The Great Pyramid, p. 160. 

3 Antiquities of Israel, p. 350. 


Transition of Lunar to Regular Seventh Bay. 103 

the Scriptures the fact that 31 religious days out 
of a possible 48 were on the phases of the moon, 
and that 30 of them were, by actual statement or 
implication, sacred rest-days or Sabbaths. (5) 
The intimate connection between the new moon 
and the Sabbath reveals their similarity of nature 
and origin, and establishes the conclusion that 
they were simply lunar festivals occurring at the 
phases of the moon similar to the custom of other 
peoples. Here is a chain of evidence that is not 
lacking in a single point to establish the proposi¬ 
tion that the Sabbath before the Exile fell on the 
changes of the moon. 

After the Babylonish Captivity the Sabbath 
occurred on the regular seventh day of the cal¬ 
endar. The chief cause of this change was the 
identification of the Sabbath with the creation 
rest day. As Goldziher says, by the story of 
creation, the Sabbath was established on entirely 
new grounds. 1 The second cause was the desire 
on the part of the Jews to hold the Sabbath in 
contrast with that of their hated captors. The 
priestly writer represents the manna as falling 
every six days with a rest on the seventh. The 
time between the Passover and the Pentecost was 
seven weeks and this was exactly fifty days. 

1 Mythology among the Hebrews, p. 324. 


104 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

This is conclusive evidence that the Sabbath was 
the regular seventh day and had no connection 
with the moon. The number seven was applied 
to the days, making the Sabbath day; to the 
months, making the seventh month of special re¬ 
ligious significance; to the year, making the Sab¬ 
batic year; to the Sabbatic years, making the year 
of Jubilee. 

We have seen that the Sabbath before the Exile 
was the seventh day of the moon, and the Sabbath 
after the Exile was the seventh day of time; it 
follows, therefore that the change must have taken 
place within the limits of this remarkable period. 
This was the great transition period of the history 
of the Jews. It was the birthday of Judaism. In 
this period most of the institutions were recast and 
stamped with a theocratic character and adapted 
to the new conditions. It was fortunate for the 
Israelites, for it took them away from the Holy 
City, the temple and its rites, and disciplined them 
into a spiritual religion apart from outward cere¬ 
monies. Prayer now took the place of incense, 
fasts took the place of feasts, and worship to a 
limited extent took the place of sacrifices. In this 
period the Jews for the first time became worship¬ 
pers of one God and him only. ’Tis true the 
prophets before the Exile, while they did not 


Transition of Lunar to Regular Seventh Day . 105 

deny the existence of the gods of the nations, 
exhorted the Israelites to be loyal to Yahweh 
alone, but such teaching did not take deep root 
nor make a lasting impression upon them till the 
Exile. The other gods were now called idols. 
From henotheism Israel passed into pure mono¬ 
theism which at this time became an established 
institution. With such great reverence did they 
hold to Yahweh, the Jewish name of God, that 
they refused to pronounce or even write it, and 
substituted the name of Jehovah in its place. 
The new year was made to commence in the 
spring, whereas before the Captivity it commenced 
in the fall. 

When this people was taken into captivity their 
public life ceased, so the only thing left for the 
scribes, priests and prophets, was study, medita¬ 
tion and writing. The Levites or priests we are 
told became Scribes. Hence a great literary ac¬ 
tivity sprang up which characterized the whole 
period. These writers copied and collected rec¬ 
ords of wars, heroes, kings, and nations. Other 
literary materials such as hymns, prayers, poetry, 
proverbs, and traditional stories, also enlisted their 
interest and the world has been blessed thereby. 
Their contact with the Royal Library of Babylon 
contributed very largely to the literary treasures 


106 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

of the Jews. This library, says Kent, possessed 
a literature, covering a period of over 3000 years 
and consisted of royal decrees, national annals, 
hymns, mythological tales, epics, magic formulas, 
and laws. 1 It was a luxury whose influence upon 
this people is not easy to estimate. 

The activities of the Jews followed along an¬ 
other line. While they were in their captive 
state, they meditated upon their past sins for 
which they were then receiving divine retribution, 
thought out the right course of action for the 
future, and determined on a new life. They con¬ 
fidently looked forward to their return from cap¬ 
tivity, so they recast old laws, developed new 
ones, and outlined a system of worship for the 
new theocracy to be established in their old 
Judaean home. Over half of the books of the 
Old Testament were either written or recast dur¬ 
ing this trying period of their life. 2 

It was in this great Theological School that the 
change was made regarding the Sabbath. The 
transition did not take place in the first part of 
this dark period, for in Ezekiel’s writings we 

1 History of the Jewish People, p. 61 (Babylonia, Persian, 
and Greek periods). 

2 History of Jewish People, by Kent, p. 65. (Babylonian, 
Persian, and Greek periods.) 


Transition of Lunar to Regular Seventh Day. 107 

find the Sabbath still connected with the moon. 1 
When Ezra returned to the Holy Land he brought 
with him the law book which contained the new 
law bearing on the Sabbath, and it was then and 
there put into operation. This law must have 
been made somewhere between b.c. 538 and the 
year b.c. 458, as that was the time in which the 
school represented by Ezra did its effective work. 2 
The prophets just before the Captivity and those 
immediately after the first return give no evidence 
of the strict Priestly Code. The severe laws of 
the priest were then made in the latter part of 
the time of this School and were ready for exe¬ 
cution when Ezra entered the Promised Land, 
B.c. 458 The Sabbath was then changed from 
the seventh day of the moon to the seventh 
day of the calendar, a short time previous to 
b.c. 458. 

This contrast between the Sabbath of the Exile 
and the Sabbath of pre-exilic days is clearly 
pointed out by Montefiore in his Hibbard Lec¬ 
tures. He unhesitatingly asserts that the “ priest’s 
sabbath is very different from the sabbath of 
the Book of the Covenant or Deuteronomy.” 
“ There,” he says, “ the sabbath was instituted for 

1 Ezek. xlvi. 1. 

2 History of Israel by Kuenen, Yol. II., 152. 


108 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

man’s sake: here — and this is the true opposi¬ 
tion — it is instituted for God’s sake. It is con¬ 
nected with creation. . . . The sabbaths are 
Yahveh’s sabbaths, and their observance is the 
observance of a perpetual sign that 4 ye may know 
that I am Yahveh that doth sanctify you.’ Thus 
the social character of the sabbath is ignored: it 
becomes purely religious.” 1 He continues, here 
as well as elsewhere in his lectures, to detail the 
great change that the Sabbath underwent in the 
time of the Israel Captivity. His published views 
of the transition could not be better presented 
substantially than that of a note of Prof. Jastrow’s 
in connection with a reference from Montefiore’-' 
lectures on The Origin and Foundation of the 
Hebrew Religion. “ Not much is to be gleaned 
from the scanty notices about the sabbath found 
in the prophets. The two centuries preceding the 
Babylonian exile appear to have been a period of 
transition. The old Sabbath as a day of propitia¬ 
tion was dying out. From Amos (8: 5) one 
might conclude that the Sabbath and new moon 
had become market days. The notice in Hosea 
(2:18) furnishes no clew. Jeremiah (IT : 21-24) 
foreshadows the distinctively Jewish Sabbath. 
The later Isaiah (55: 2-6; 58: 18-14; 56: 28) 

1 Hibbard Lectures, ’92, p. 338. 






Transition of Lunar to Regular Seventh Day. 109 

points in the same direction, while in Ezekiel 
(46: 1-12: 22: 26) the transition has taken 
place.” 1 It might be observed that the Sabbath in 
all its features did not receive its final touches in 
Ezekiel’s time as the above quotation intimates, 
for at that time the Sabbath was still in connec¬ 
tion with the moon. We close the chapter with 
a quotation from Prof. Morris Jastrow, who has 
written one of the most scholarly articles on the 
subject. 

“The Sabbath of the Hebrews was originally such a 
Sabbathon— a day of propitiation and pacification, marked 
by rites of an atonement character.” 

“ At this stage in the development of the institution, it 
was celebrated at intervals of seven days, corresponding 
with changes in the moon’s phases, and was identical in 
character with the four days in each month (7th, 14th, 
21st, and 28) that the Babylonians regarded as days which 
had to be converted into days of pacification.” 

“ The introduction, in consequence of profound changes 
in religious conceptions among the Hebrews, of the cus¬ 
tom of celebrating the Sabbath every seventh day, irres¬ 
pective of the relationship of the day to the moon’s phases, 
led to a complete separation from the ancient view of the 
Sabbath, while the introduction, at a still later period, of 
the doctrine that the divine work of creation was com¬ 
pleted in six days removed the Hebrew Sabbath still 

1 Original character of the Hebrew Sabbath. American 
Journal of Theology, April, ’98. 


110 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

further from the point at which the development oi the 
corresponding Babylonian institution ceased.” 

“Lastly, to put the contrast concisely between the 
Sabbath in its original form and the fully developed post- 
exilic institution, we might say that the old Sabbath was 
merely a sabbathon, one sabbathon among many others, 
identical in character and spirit with a Babylonian um- 
nuh-libbi or sabattum; the developed institution was 
unique in its character, with rest from all kinds of work as 
its central idea, a day sacred to Yahweh who had created 
the world in six days and who had himself set the example 
for all times by resting on the seventh day. These two 
features— (a) a day of absolute rest and (6) the doctrine 
upon which this ordinance is based — represented the dis¬ 
tinctively Jewish contribution to the Babylonian-IIebraic 
sabattum. Between the old sabbathon and the new Sab¬ 
bath, however, there lies the growth of the Hebrew 
people from a semi-primitive condition of religious 
thought to the advanced belief which controls and domi¬ 
nates the entire pentateuchal legislation in its final — 
its present— shape.” i 

1 Original character of the Hebrew Sabbath, American 
Journal of Theology, April, ’98. 



Nature of the Jewish Sabbath. 


Ill 


CHAPTER V. 

NATURE OF THE JEWISH SABBATH. 

In dealing with this subject we shall consider 
separately the nature of the Sabbath before the 
Exile, from that which followed the Exile. As 
suggested in the last chapter, the experience of 
the Jews in Babylon produced a decided change 
in the character of the day. Before the Captivity 
the Hebrews kept the seventh day of the moon. 
It was observed in about the same manner and in 
the same spirit as the Canaanites and the Babylo¬ 
nians, at least until the ninth century before 
Christ. It was a kind of pacification day with a 
feast as the principal feature. If work was per¬ 
formed on that day bad luck was supposed to 
follow as a punishment from the god whose anger 
had been kindled. The commands were simply 
precautionary. “ Remember ” affixed to a com¬ 
mand, means “be on the look out for.” No 
penalty was associated with the violation of the 
law at this time. 


112 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

About the ninth century B.c. a change set in 
and the chosen people of God were to rest for the 
sake of the rest. A transition is beginning to 
show itself. The fear and reverence for the gods 
of the nations, are now giving way to the God of 
the Hebrews. The day is observed now, not so 
much to pacify gods, that are growing into dis¬ 
favor, but for the benefit of physical rest. The 
day, as it was constituted at this time, could not 
long remain such, with a tribe so permeated with 
religious sentiments. Some other incentive rather 
than that of rest must be associated with the day. 
In the seventh century in Josiah’s reign that 
incentive was found. It then became a day to 
commemorate the deliverance of the Israelites 
from the Egyptians. From a physical rest day 
it was changed into a memorial day, a national 
holiday. The feast occupied the principal place 
on this sacred day until the Jews were taken into 
captivity. In the book of Samuel this statement 
appears: “ And David said unto Jonathan, Be¬ 
hold to-morrow is the new moon and I should not 
fail to sit with the king at meat.” “ And when 
the new moon was come the king sat him down 
to eat meat.” 1 This evidently was the feast of 
the new moon. As the Sabbath and the new 


1 Sam. xx. 5-24. 


Nature of the Jewish Sabbath . 113 

moon were on a par regarding their nature and 
observance, the custom of feasting must also be 
considered as prevailing on the Sabbath. Merry¬ 
making was quite within the bounds of legitimate 
diversions on this holy day. Hosea, the prophet 
who lived in the Assyrian invasion, speaks in this 
manner of their religious days: “ I will cause 
all her mirth to cease, her new moons, and her 
Sabbaths, and all her solemn assemblies.” 1 In 
this quotation, feasts, new moon and the Sabbath, 
stand in opposition to mirth, therefore making the 
Sabbath a day of mirth. The Talmud conveys 
the same idea. 

It appears to be a day on which prophets and 
men of God were consulted on matters of spiritual 
interest. The man of Shunam when requested to 
send for the prophet Elijah to restore his deceased 
son, replied, “ Wherefore w r ilt thou go to him 
to-day? it is neither new moon nor Sabbath.” 
Things of public interest, without condemna¬ 
tion, were performed on the Sabbath Day. King 
Jehoash was crowned king in the temple courts 
on the Sabbath Day. 2 No special sacrifices were 
offered on this day, and no worship different from 
other days, was engaged in by the Jews before 
the Exile. No cast-iron rules were fixed unto the 
1 Hos. ii. 11. 2 2 Kings, xi. Chapter. 


114 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

Seventh Day of the early Hebrews. The Puritan 
Sabbath had yet to come. 

The same spirit was felt regarding the new 
moon as the Sabbath. In fact it was a kind of 
Sabbath as all lunar feasts were. The same 
things were prohibted and the same things were 
indulged in on both these days. “ When will 
the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn ; and 
the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat,” says 
Amos, signifying the similarity of the two days. 

The conception of the Sabbath was all changed 
after the Exile. That brief period in a captor’s 
land worked a marvelous revolution in the reli¬ 
gious conceptions and institutions of the Jews. 
After this event the distinguishing feature of 
the holy day was absolute rest. Shortly before 
the Captivity a change is plainly observable. 
The writer of the Little Book of the Covenant 
emphasizes the rest element for its own sake. It 
seems to partake of the nature of an humani¬ 
tarian institution. But the priestly writer far 
exceeded these bounds. In his view the rest 
should be absolute, not primarily for the benefit 
of man but for the glory and honor of God. 
Absolute rest from the example of God, was the 
essential feature of the post-exilic Sabbath. The 
word Sabbath is the Hebrew word for rest. 


Nature of the Jewish Sabbath. 115 

Among the Assyrians the word Sabbath, or more 
properly sabbathon, occurs under the form of 
“ Sabattum ” or 44 Sabattuy ” and is explained as 
“ a day of rest for the heart.” — “ This may be 
positively inferred from a passage of a fragment 
of a lexicon of Assyrian synonyms wherein ‘ Yum- 
nuh-libbi ’ is translated 4 Sabattuv ’ and means 4 a 
day of repose for the heart.’ ” 1 This 44 repose of 
the heart ” has been found from a number of 
parallel expressions, to mean rest or cessation 
from anger, referring specially to the anger of 
the gods. 2 The Accadian word for Sabbath is 
44 Udu-khul-gal ” which is equivalent to the Latin 
44 Dies nefastus ” and is rendered unlawful day. 
In a bilingual syllabary which gives the meaning 
of Accadian words in the Assyrian, the Acca¬ 
dian word, mentioned above, is rendered 44 Yum- 
sulumi ” and means 44 a day of completion.” For 
a thorough and critical treatment of the subject 
the reader is referred to Prof. Morris Jastrow’s 
article on the 44 Original Character of the Hebrew 
Sabbath.” This writer asserts that the Babylo¬ 
nian Sabattum is equivalent, not to the Sabbath 
but to the Hebrew sabbathon and was understood 
as a pacification or atonement day. The Hebrew 

1 Beginnings of History, p. 249. 

2 American Journal of Theology, April ’98. 


116 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

word Sabbath was decidedly different from this 
and meant simply physical rest. 

The Sabbath was to be kept on the seventh day 
of the calendar regardless of the moon. It was 
no longer a lunar day but a day specially belong¬ 
ing to God. Not only was man required to keep 
this day separate or holy, but his ox, his ass and 
his cattle were required to do likewise. The land 
also had to keep a holy rest unto God every 
seven years besides the fiftieth year. 

The day was hedged about with many restric¬ 
tions. No “manner of work” was to be done on 
that day. 1 Not even a fire could be lighted. 2 
No gathering of sticks was to be permitted. 3 
None were allowed to go out of their places on 
the Sabbath. 4 All burden bearing was to be laid 
aside on this sacred day and traders were not 
permitted to enter the gates of Jerusalem. 5 It 
was considered no longer a day of mirth or a 
feast day, but rather a solemn day of God. It 
ceased to be a holiday of man and became a holy 
day of God. 

In the time of Ezekiel it was a sign day. It 
was the one test that determined the Jews’ fidelity 

1 Ex. xxxi. 14. 4 Ex. xvi. 29. 

2 Ex. xxxv. 3. 6 Neh. xiii. 19. 

8 Num. xv. 32. 


Nature of the Jewish Sabbath . 117 

to their own Creator. To rest on that day 
was the method of showing loyalty and love to 
Yahweh their God. 

It was no longer a physical rest day simply, 
but a day that was absolutely owned by God 
himself. The idea of ownership gained the su¬ 
premacy when the Sabbath was connected with 
the creation rest of God. When God rested the 
Seventh Day, that day was his rest, separate or 
holy unto him, therefore belonging to him. Extra 
sacrifices were presented morning and evening on 
the Sabbath. Worship was now introduced for 
the first time. In Leviticus it reads, “ Six days 
shall work be done, but the seventh day is a 
sabbath of complete rest, a holy religious meet¬ 
ing.” This holy convocation or religious meeting 
developed into the synagogue. 

Now we notice that there is a penalty inserted 
in the law for the violation of the Sabbath. The 
Priestly Code demands the death of the culprit 
who breaks the holy day of God. We have now 
got the Puritan Sabbath. From this time the 
day continued to be hedged about with legal 
restrictions until there arose the Rabbinical Sab¬ 
bath. According to the Rabbins’ view of the law, 
man was made for the Sabbath, instead of the 
Sabbath for man. This legal period culminated 


118 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

with thirty-nine different things prohibited on the 
Seventh Day. The puerility of extreme Rabbini¬ 
cal legalism is seen in such restrictions as these : 
“None should eat an egg that is laid on the 
Sabbath, as the hen violated the fourth command¬ 
ment in doing work on the Sabbath.” When 
Christ with his disciples passed through the corn 
fields, the third rule was violated in plucking 
corn, as it was equivalent to threshing. Walking 
on the grass was also prohibited for a like reason. 
Even having nails in one’s shoes while walking 
was considered equivalent to carrying a burden. 
One could mark down one letter of the alphabet, 
without violating the conception of the law, but 
it was wrong to mark down two letters. The 
Jews were not allowed to carry a mouthful of 
food two steps on the Sabbath Day, as it would 
be bearing a burden. So strict were they in this 
period, that they allowed the city of Jerusalem 
to be stormed by Pompey, without making a show 
of resistance. In the time of Antiochus Epiph- 
anes the Jews permitted themselves to be cut 
down wholesale and even burned before they 
would resist or flee, because they feared to dis¬ 
honor the Holy Sabbath. Strange as it may seem, 
in this same period the Jews themselves made an 
effort to do away with the Sabbath. 1 Possibly it 
1 McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopaedia, p. 192. 


Nature of the Jewish Sabbath. 119 

was due to the ridicule that they were subject to 
while under the Greek administration. This Rab¬ 
binical Sabbath was in vogue during the days of 
Christ and his disciples. 


120 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 


CHAPTER VI. 

DURATION OF THE JEWISH SABBATH. 

Was the Jewish Sabbath to be perpetually 
binding ? Many assume the position that the 
Jewish Sabbath is now binding because a “for¬ 
ever” is found in connection with the Sabbath 
command. They were to observe it throughout 
their generations forever. But what is implied 
in this injunction ? The same command is given 
in relation to the Passover: “ And this day shall 
be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it 
a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; 
ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” 1 
The same is said about the feast of unleavened 
bread: “And ye shall observe the feast of un¬ 
leavened bread; for in this same day I brought 
your armies out of the land of Egypt; therefore 
shall ye observe this day in your generations by 
an ordinance for ever.” 2 The Covenant of Cir¬ 
cumcision was to be everlasting, which signified 

1 Ex. xii. 14. 2 Ex. xii. 17. 


Duration of the Jewish Sabbath . 121 

that it was to endure forever. 1 The same idea 
obtains in relation to the atonement, 2 burnt offer¬ 
ings, 3 oil for lamps, 4 washing of hands and feet, 5 
fringes on the borders of garments, 6 and many- 
other ceremonies of a similar character. 

It will be noticed that the word rendered “ for¬ 
ever ” is in Hebrew “ olam,” meaning indefinite 
or uncertain time, except when used in connec¬ 
tion with God; then it strictly means eternal. 
The same word is used in the text, “ I have long 
time holden my peace.” Here it means limited 
time or during one’s life time. The same word 
is used in the sixty-first chapter of Isaiah, 7 where 
it means “ old.” Again “ olam ” is the Hebrew 
word rendered “ old ” in the phrase “ build the 
old waste places.” 8 Nothing more can be postu¬ 
lated for “ olam ” than “ a long time ” when not 
directly applied to God. If the Jewish Sabbath 
is adhered to, because there is an injunction to 
observe it forever, by what authority are these 
other things, mentioned above, left undone at the 
present day ? Many hold strongly to the Sabbath 
because it was a sign between God and his people; 
and for this reason, it was obligatory upon them 

1 Gen. xvii. 18. 4 Lev. xxiv. 3-5. 7 Is. lxi. 4. 

2 Ex. xxx. 10. 5 Lev. xv. 28. 8 Is. lviii. 12. 

8 Ex. vi. 18. 6 Is. xlii. 14. 


122 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

for all time to come. But circumcision was also 
a sign between God and his people. If we hold 
to the one because it is a sign, we must hold to 
the other. If we refuse to obey one, for the 
same reason we must decline to obey the other. 

The Jewish Sabbath is not a transference from 
the heathen Sabbath, nor does it look in that 
direction for its authority; the latter simply 
formed a model and the remainder was furnished 
by the Hebrews themselves. The purpose, spirit 
and ceremonies were all different from that of 
the heathen. The heathen holy day was prin¬ 
cipally a feast-day with the remaining time given 
up to recreation and amusement, but the Hebrew 
holy day was a rest-day in honor of God. 


PAET III. 

THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE CHRISTIANS. 


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CHAPTER I. 


REFERENCES TO THE LORD’S DAY IN THE NEW 
TESTAMENT. 

The resurrection of Christ took place on the 
first day of the week, and on that day the as¬ 
sembled disciples were favored with a visit from 
their risen Lord and Master. The Sacred Record 
says, “ And very early on the first day of the 
week, they come to the tomb when the sun was 
risen.” 1 When they came they found the stone 
rolled away which closed the entrance to the tomb. 
Upon entering, an angel conveyed the startling in¬ 
telligence, “ He is risen.” He is reported as ap¬ 
pearing five times on that historic day, in one case 
to two of his disciples as they journeyed to Emmaus, 
and again, later in the evening, to the eleven in a 
secluded room in the city of Jerusalem. 

The little group of followers met again with 
Christ on the next first day of the week. “ And 
after eight days again,” writes John, “ his disciples 

1 Mark xvi. 2. 

125 


126 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

were within.” 1 If this text were interpreted liter¬ 
ally, we would be warranted in inferring that the 
meeting was on the second day of the week. A 
number of similar expressions indicates that the 
days were reckoned inclusively. The length of 
time that Christ lay in the grave is expressed as 
follows: “in three days ” 2 ; “ the third day ” 3 ; 
“ after three days.” 4 These expressions are in¬ 
tended to convey the same idea. The Levitical law 
states: “ In the eighth day the flesh of his fore¬ 
skin shall be circumcised ” 5 ; but we are told in 
Luke that “ When eight days were fulfilled (that 
is after eight days) for circumcising him, his name 
was called Jesus.” 6 Here the same thing occurs, 
that is, representing a period as past when the 
event happens on the last day of the period men¬ 
tioned. The modern method would say, “ On 
that day week ” they met again, but it seems that 
the Jewish method would include parts of two 
resurrection days, counting the preceding Sunday 
and the present one, thus making the second 
resurrection day the eighth day after. An 
“ Eighth day after,” is an idiomatic expression 
signifying “ that day week.” The “ eighth day,” 
was a familiar term in early times among the 

1 John xx. 26. 8 Ibid. xvi. 21. 8 Lev. xii. 3. 

2 Math. xxvi. 61. 4 Mark viii. 31. 6 Luke ii.21. 


The Lord's Day in the New Testament. 127 

Apostolic Fathers, signifying the day after the 
seventh. 

A point worthy of note here, is the mention of 
the disciples meeting together in the evening of 
Christ’s resurrection. Now, the Jewish day com¬ 
mences at sundown, and according to their reckon¬ 
ing it would be the second day of the week. The 
text directly states that they met the first day of 
the week in the evening. It is evident that 
another method of reckoning time was used, no 
doubt that of the Romans who commence their 
day at midnight. 

The author of the Acts of the Apostles records 
this statement: “And upon the first day of the 
week, when we were gathered together to break 
bread, Paul discoursed with them.” 1 The intro¬ 
duction of the words, “ when we were gathered 
together to break bread ” implies that it was a 
customary meeting on a certain day of the week, 
and at a certain time of the day, understood by 
the writer and the persons written to. If it had 
been a special meeting called for the occasion, the 
wording would have indicated that fact. The 
diction compels us to conclude, that the Christians 
met together regularly on the first day of the 
week. 


1 Acts xx. 7. 


128 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

A passage in 1 Corinthians, bearing on this sub¬ 
ject, reads as follows: “ Upon the first day of the 
week let each one of you lay by him in store as he 
may prosper, that no collection be made when I 
come.” 1 At first sight this does not seem to add 
much to the theme under consideration, as it 
simply records the fact that a certain amount 
for the saints of Jerusalem was laid aside every 
first day; but when taken in connection with its 
original meaning, and with the custom of the 
Apostolic Church, it means a great deal. The 
original word translated “ lay by in store ” is 
“ thesaurizonfi and according to Macknight and 
others, has reference to the Church box or treas¬ 
ury. Spiers asserts that it means “ putting into 
the treasury.” 2 It does not seem that any other 
meaning is permissible when we take into account 
the last words of the verse which says, “ that there 
be no gatherings when I come.” 3 Now if this 
money were laid up in their homes, there would still 
have to be a house-to-house collection when he 
came. That was just what Paul wanted to avoid. 
But if it were put into the treasury it would be 
all ready when he came, consequently no delay. 
Later on the church regularly took a collection 
for the poor on the Lord's day when they met for 
worship. 

1 1 Cor. xvi. 2. 2 Sabbath for Man, p. 54. » 1 Cor. xvi. 2. 


The Lord's Day in the New Testament . 129 

The Revelation of John does not fail to notice 
the Lord’s Day. “1 was in the Spirit on the 
Lord’s Day,” he says. This is not the Sabbath of 
the Jews, as some assert, for if it were he would 
have said so in the phraseology of his day. They 
had a different name for the Seventh Day than 
that of Lord’s Day. The Lord’s Day was never 
used in connection with the Sabbath. This is not 
the judgment day, as some commentators think, 
for he was on the Isle of Patmos and not in 
heaven above. It was the first day of the week, 
and the Lord’s Day was the term used'to desig¬ 
nate it in the early church. 

Though not much is said about the Lord’s Day 
and its services in the books of the New Testa¬ 
ment, yet from what little is incidentally mentioned, 
much can be legitimately inferred. There are 
several passages, which make it clear that the dis¬ 
ciples of Christ came together regularly in a 
church. “ For first of all, when ye come together 
in the church,” and in the same connection, 
“ Wlien therefore ye assemble yourselves together, 
it is not possible to eat the Lord’s Supper. 
What ? have ye not houses to eat and drink in ? 
or despise ye the church of God ? ” 1 are tw~o texts 
selected from a number similar in kind, which se- 
1 1 Cor. xi. 18, 22. 


130 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

tablish the certainty that the early adherents of 
Christianity met together in a building used for 
the purposes of a church. Private houses were 
also meeting places when more convenient build¬ 
ings could not be obtained. 

The New Testament also reveals what day it 
was they met together. Luke declares in the Acts 
of the Apostles, “ And upon the first day of the 
week when we were gathered together to break 
bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to de¬ 
part on the morrow.” 1 There can be no division 
of opinion here about the first day of the week 
being the regular meeting day of the disciples or 
church at Troas. 

We have settled then that the followers of 
Christ met together in their churches on the resur¬ 
rection day of Christ. The next task is to ascer¬ 
tain their kind of service. It is plain from the 
above texts that preaching , at least occasionally, 
formed a part of their exercises. Exhortation seems 
to be quite prominent in the first stages of the 
Church. Speaking in unknown tongues is simply 
exhortation in a strange or foreign language. “ If 
therefore the whole church be come together into 
one place and all speak with tongues” ; 2 “ IIow- 
beit in the church I had rather speak five words 
1 Acts xx. 7. 2 1 Cor. xiv. 


The Lord's Day in the New Testament. 131 

with my understanding that I might instruct 
others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue ”; 
“ If any man speaketh in a tongue .... and let 
one interpret, but if there be no interpreter let 
him keep silence in the church ”; “ For ye all can 
prophesy (exhort) one by one, that all may learn 
and all may be comforted ” ; “ Let the women keep 
silence in the churches .... for it is a shame for 
a woman to speak in the church,” are texts that 
put beyond a doubt the idea of exhortation in 
the primitive church. The reading of epistles from 
absent disciples sometimes entered into the pro¬ 
gramme of services. In the first letter of Paul to 
the Church of Thessalonica, he directs the church 
to have the letter read to all the holy brethren, 
and again he adds, “ And when this epistle hath 
been read among you, cause that it be read also 
in the Church of the Laodiceans; and that ye 
also read the epistle from Laodicea.” 1 

The reference to praying in an unknown tongue 
and similar utterances lead us to infer that prayer 
was one part of the order of exercises. 

Singing seems to have been another element in 
worship, for the letter to the Church at Colosse 
says, “ teaching and admonishing one another in 
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” 2 
i Col. iv. 16. 2 Ibid., iii. 16. 


132 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

Another important factor in their order of wor¬ 
ship was the Lord's Supper. From Acts xx. 7, 
that seems quite well established. In fact they 
observed it every day at first, for after the day of 
Pentecost we are told the disciples went from 
house to house breaking bread, etc. But later on 
this rite was reserved for the Lord’s Day when 
they were all assembled together. 

We are not certain that the collection for the 
poor was taken regularly at this particular time, 
though we do know that they had special collec¬ 
tions. However at the period immediately suc¬ 
ceeding this, the collection for the poor was 
regularly attended to. The New Testament then 
furnishes evidence that the Apostolic Church met 
together on the first day of the week, and had 
religious services consisting of (1) preaching, 
exhortation, or reading of epistles, (2) singing, 
(3) prayer, and (4) the Lord’s Supper. 

These are all the direct references to the Lord’s 
Day in the writings of the New Testament; and 
it is a surprise to some that so little is said about 
it. But matters of this character were considered 
non-essentials, and were mentioned because of 
some special circumstance calling them forth. It is 
true there is no commandment touching upon the 
subject of the observance of the Lord’s Day in 


The Lord's Day in the New Testament. 133 

apostolic literature, but why should there be, when 
the Holy Spirit was to lead, guide and teach the 
disciples in all things? It grew up gradually like 
other Church institutions. Confirmation is not 
commanded in the New Testament writings, but 
laying on of hands is incidentally referred to a 
number of times. Religious orders are not com¬ 
manded, but we find in the pages of New Testa¬ 
ment literature, the orders of deacons and elders. 
It was the method of the Spirit, not to promulgate 
court-room decrees, but to lead men by his silent 
influence to adopt whatever action or institution 
was best under the circumstances. 


134 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Smiday. 


CHAPTER II. 

TESTIMONY OF ANTE-NICENE FATHERS AND 
WRITERS. 

A former chapter touched upon the Biblical 
features of the Lord’s Day, and now we take up 
the evidence outside of the books of the Bible. 
This will include the testimony of the Apostolic 
Fathers, the Church Fathers, and writers of pagan 
persuasion. These writings throw a flood of light 
upon the question of the Lord’s Day, and put be¬ 
yond controversy the fact of its existence as a 
Christian institution in the first days of Christi¬ 
anity. Though this evidence is not in the Bible, 
yet it is not to be discredited. We must not shut 
our eyes to the fact that there are data outside of 
the Bible as well as in it, relative to the earliest 
history of Christianity. We must search for the 
truth, in history, nature, as well as in the Bible, 
and we are told that truth is of God. The wars 
of Csesar were a fact in history, though they are 
not referred to in the Bible. So with regard to 


Testimony of Ante-Nicene Fathers. 135 

the Lord’s Day; if we find a fact outside of the 
New Testament, it is as much of a fact as if it 
were in it, because it is true. 

The following witnesses supplement the last 
chapter in proving the prevalence of the Lord’s 
Day at least in the apostolic period. I select the 
witnesses before the Nicene Council because at 
that time Church authorities commenced to make 
canons bearing on the day, and civil rulers issued 
similar decrees, with which all students are famil¬ 
iar. To connect this time or period with the 
apostolic period, having special reference to the 
Lord’s Day, is now our appointed task. 

About the year a.d. 70-79 Barnabas wrote, 
saying “We keep the eighth day with joyfulness; 
the day on which Christ rose from the dead.” 1 
The authenticity of this is questioned. However, 
if it were not written by Barnabas it was by some 
other, who expressed the thoughts and views of 
this early period. 

Ignatius, who died about A.D. 107, contributes 
his part to the Lord’s Day literature, which is con¬ 
sidered very valuable as he was a contemporary of 
John. He speaks in this wise: “ If therefore 
those who were brought up in the ancient order of 
things have come unto possession of a new hope, 
1 Ante-Nicene Library, Yol. i. s 128. 


136 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

no longer observing the Sabbath but living in the 
observance of the Lord’s Day, on which also our 
life has sprung up again by Him and by his death.” 1 
In this quotation the original for Lord’s Day is 
“ Kuriake.” This does not mean “ Day of the 
Lord,” but it is a noun phrase, and is an expression 
standing for an institution. 

Special significance is placed upon Pliny’s letter 
to Trajan about a.d. 111-112. Pliny was Gov¬ 
ernor of Pont us and Bithynia and was ordered by 
the Emperor Trajan to root out the Christians. 
Pliny writes to the Emperor about the Christians, 
and says : “ They declared that all the wrong that 
they had committed, wittingly or unwittingly, was 
this, that they had been accustomed on a fixed day 
to meet before dawn and sing antiphonally a hymn 
to Christ as God and bind themselves by a solemn 
pledge, not to commit any enormity, but to abstain 
from theft, brigandage and adultery, to keep their 
word, and not to refuse to restore what had been 
entrusted to their charge if demanded. After 
these ceremonies they used to disperse and assemble 
again and share a common meal of innocent food.” 2 
From the context and other evidences it is reason¬ 
ably concluded that the stated day was no other 

1 A. N. L., Yol. i., 180. 

2 Sunday, by J. A. Hessey, p. 42. 


Testimony of Ante-Nicene Fathers. 137 

than the first day of the week. Another very 
early document recently found, called the “ Teach¬ 
ing of the Twelve,” which dates about a.d. 120, 
makes this statement: “ But every Lord’s Day do 
ye gather } r ourselves together and break bread and 
give thanks after having confessed your transgres¬ 
sions, that our sacrifices may be pure.” 1 

The newly discovered Sinaitic document of Aris¬ 
tides, the philosopher of Athens, throws light on 
this institution. In the letter to the Emperor 
Trajan, about a.d. 125, he ignores Sabbath keeping 
among the list of duties of Christians, and claims 
the Jews are in error in observing the Sabbath. 2 

Justin Martyr who wrote in a.d. 138 declares : 
“ On the day called Sunday all (Christians) who 
live in cities or in the country, gather (together), 
in one place; and the memories of the Apostles or 
the writings of the prophets are read, as long as 
time permits; then when the reader has ceased, 
the President verbally instructs, and exhorts to 
the imitation of these good things.” 3 Again in the 
same connection, he says, “ Sunday is the day on 
which we all hold our common assembly, because it 
is the first day on which God having wrought a 

1 Teaching of Twelve Apostles, Chap. 14. 

2 Discourses of Aristides, Chap. 14. 

3 A. N. L., Vol. ii., 65, 66. 


138 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

change in the darkness and matter, made the 
world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour was raised 
from the dead.” In another place are these words: 
“ The command to circumcise infants on the eighth 
day was a type of the true circumcision by which 
we are circumcised from error and wickedness 
through our Lord Jesus Christ, who rose from the 
dead on the first day of the week, therefore, it re¬ 
mained the first and chief of all days.” 1 About 
this time Mileto, bishop of Sardis, wrote a treatise 
on the subject of the Lord’s Day. It must have 
developed to be of considerable importance to be 
the sujbect of a treatise. 

Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, in A.D. 178, observes : 
“ This custom of not bending the knee on Sunday, 
is a symbol of the resurrection, through which we 
have been set free, by the grace of Christ, from 
sins, and from death, which has been put to death 
under Him.” 2 He adds further: “The Lord’s 
resurrection should be celebrated on no other day 
than the Lord’s Day; and on that day alone we 
should observe the paschal feast.” 3 Dionysius of 
Corinth, a contemporary of Irenaeus says: “We 
celebrate the Lord’s Day.” 4 The Apostolical 
Constitutions, written about A.D. 300, contains 

1 Discourse with Typho. Sec. 41. 3 Eccl. His. ii., 236. 

2 A. N. L., Vol. ix., 162, 163. * Ibid., ii., 26. 


Testimony of Ante-Nicene Fathers . 139 

this clause : “ On the day of the Resurrection, that 
is, the Lord’s Day, assemble yourselves together 
without fail, giving thanks to God and praising 
Him for those mercies God has bestowed on you 
through Christ.” 1 

Tertullian, the great bishop of Carthage, who 
lived and wrote in the latter part of the second 
century and part of the third, gives expression to 
his views in these words: “We have nothing to 
do with the Sabbath or other Jewish festivals, 
much less with those of the heathen.” 2 Bardesa- 
nes of Edessa, a Syrian who flourished about a.d. 
180, says: “One day, the first day of the week, 
we assembled ourselves together and on the days 
of the readings we abstained from sustenance.” 3 
Clement of Alexandria bears witness to the Lord’s 
Day, in this manner: “ He, in fulfilment of the 
precept, according to the Gospel, keeps the Lord’s 
Day, when he abandons an evil disposition, and 
assumes that of the Gnostic, glorifying the Lord’s 
resurrection in himself.” 4 Anatolius, bishop of 
Laodicea, a Greek, and living in the year A.D. 200 
offers this testimony : “ The obligation of the 

1 A. N. L., Vol. xvii., 189. 

2 Ibid., Vol. xii., 85. 

8 Book of the Laws of Countries. 

* A. N. L., Vol. xii., 461. 


140 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

Lord’s resurrection binds us to keep the paschal 

festival on the Lord’s Day.The solemn 

festival of the resurrection of the Lord can be cele¬ 
brated only on the Lord’s Day.Our regard 

for the Lord’s resurrection which took place on the 
Lord’s Day will lead us to celebrate it on the same 
principle.” 1 There was no Church law at this 
time to compel the celebration of the Lord’s Day. 
It was optional, so their love for Christ led to the 
celebration of the day. It was this idea of per¬ 
sonal love for Christ that established such a gen¬ 
eral custom. 

Origen, who lived about a.d. 225, was a man 
of great learning and high authority in the early 
Church. In the following he makes known his 
arguments against possible objectors: “ If it be 
objected to us on this subject, that we ourselves 
are accustomed to observe certain days, as, for 
example, the Lord’s Day, the preparation, the Pass- 
over, or the Pentecost. I have to answer, that to 
the perfect Christian, who is ever in his thoughts, 
words and deeds serving his natural Lord, God the 
Word, all his days are the Lord’s and he is always 
keeping the Lord’s Day.” 2 

Victorinus, bishop of Petau, about a.d. 300, 
vouches for this statement: “ On the former day 
1 A. N. L., Vol. x. 2 Ibid., xxiii., 509. 




Testimony of Ante-Nicene Fathers . 141 

(the sixth) we were accustomed to fast rigorously, 
that on the Lord’s Day we may go forth to our 
bread with giving thanks. And let the parasceve 
become a rigorous fast, lest we should appear to 
observe any Sabbath with the Jews, which Christ 
himself, the Lord of the Sabbath, says by his 
prophets that his soul hateth, which Sabbath he in 
his body abolished.” 1 Peter of Alexandria, about 
A. d. 306, certifies to this: “But the Lord’s Day 
we celebrate as a day of joy because on it he rose 
again, on which day we have received it as a cus¬ 
tom not even to bow the knee.” 2 

The testimony of the Father of Church History, 
Eusebius, is of great significance. He was pos¬ 
sessed of great learning, travelled extensively, and 
had access to those agencies which would make 
him thoroughly conversant with Christianity, 
whose history he had given to the world. About 
A.D. 324 he writes concerning the patriarchs: 
“ They do not therefore regard circumcision nor 
the Sabbath, nor do we, because such things do not 
belong to Christians.” 3 

In the foregoing testimony we have those who 
were eye witnesses of the apostles, who learned 
directly from them of their teachings and customs. 

1 A. N. L., xviii., 390. 2 Ibid., xiv., 322. 

3 Ecclesiastical History, VqI. i., 42. 


142 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

Also there were a number that were living with 
the contemporaries of the apostles, and received 
apostolic truth and practice second hand from 
the chosen ones of the Master. All with the 
exception of the last two or three named writers, 
had some part of their life contemporaneous with 
at least some of those who lived and talked 
with the disciples. The Lord’s Day is a definite 
expression used by the following authorities: The 
Teaching of the Apostles, Ignatius, Dionysius, 
Melito, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertul- 
lian, Origen, Anatolius, Apostolical Constitutions, 
Victorinus, Peter of Alexandria, and Eusebius. 
These writings connect in a continuous line the 
Nicene Council with the time of the Apostles. 
Then the testimony of the Apostolic Fathers, 
Church Fathers and other writers undisputably 
support the claim that the Lord’s Day was in this 
early age a day of worship on the first day of the 
week, in commemoration of the rising of Christ 
from the dead. 


Relation of Lord’s Day to Jewish Sabbath 143 


CHAPTER III. 

RELATION OF THE LORD’S DAY TO THE JEWISH 
SABBATH. 

Most all writers upon this subject, maintain 
that the Lord’s Day is a continuation of the Sab¬ 
bath of the Jews, yet none can tell when it was 
changed, how it was changed, or by whom it was 
changed. There seems to be no grounds for mak¬ 
ing such an assertion. It is a position the sup¬ 
porters of such a view are driven into, when they 
maintain the perpetual obligation of the fourth 
commandment. There is no record of such a 
change. Paul did not emphasize one day as being 
more sacred than another. If there was any offi¬ 
cial change at this time he would have mentioned 
it. It was definitely stated that the law was abol¬ 
ished : not a part of the law, but the “ books of the 
law,” and the law of Christ, which is the law of love, 
substituted. Another fact is, that the Apostles and 
the whole Church since have met on the first day 
of the week and worshipped the Master. Now if 


144 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

there were a change in the day, it rests upon those 
who make the claim to substantiate it, and not beg 
the very question which they are to prove. Neither 
a guess nor a supposition is scientific evidence. No 
writer of the early centuries of the Christian era has 
intimated any such change. The facts in the case 
clearly show that the Lord’s Day is a new institu¬ 
tion, having no dependence on the Jewish Sabbath. 
If there were a change, then when was the last 
Sabbath and when the first Lord’s Day? If a 
change, then it was a fully developed Lord’s Day 
from the beginning, which is not the case. It 
grew to be what it was by degrees through many 
years. At first it was simply a memorial day, 
then it developed into a worship day. After a 
long period of time Christians rested from labor 
during the whole day. An official change would 
require them to rest the whole day from the be¬ 
ginning. There is no commandment or even a 
hint from the apostles or others that there was a 
change of days in the sense, that the Lord’s Day 
is a continuation of the Sabbath. It is true that 
the Lord’s Day followed the Sabbath in the se¬ 
quence of time, and in a measure took its place, 
so also our Christmas took the place of the Roman 
feast of Brumalia, and the feast of Easter took the 
place of the Teutonic feast of Ostera or Eastre ; 


Relation of Lord ’« Day to Jewish Sabbath . 145 

that, however, does not imply that one is a con¬ 
tinuation of the other or dependent on the other 
for its existence or authority. 

The bold charge is made that Constantine 
changed the Sabbath at the instigation of Pope Syl¬ 
vester. The testimony of history completely dispels 
such a delusion. As has already been suggested, 
there was no official or other kind of change from 
one day to the other. One day died out and a new 
day arose, having no dependent relation to that 
which was abolished. At this time there was no 
pope exercising authority over all other churches. 
Sylvester was only the bishop of the city of Rome, 
having no voice over the rest of Christendom; 
neither is there the faintest evidence to show that 
he dictated the Sunday legislation of Constantine. 
Before the Sunday laws of Constantine, three edicts 
had been granted giving Christians liberty in the 
exercise of their faith. Gallienus about a.d. 260 
allowed Christians the free enjoyment of their 
religion and restored their confiscated property. 
This was annulled by Diocletian. In a.d. 311 
came the Edict of Toleration, and two years later 
the Edict of Milan, giving again constitutional 
liberty to the Church to worship God as they saw 
fit. These measures were only a preparation for 
the famous Edict of A.D. 321 which legalized 


146 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

resting on Sunday. Christianity now had legal 
rights under Constantine, but only the followers 
of Christ observed the Lord’s Day. The week of 
the pagan Romans was an astrological week in 
which all days were religious days. They had no 
special rest day, and so worked on the Lord’s Day 
the same as any other day of the week. Because 
this interfered with the Christians who rested on 
Sunday, Constantine issued an edict requesting all, 
except those in country districts, to rest on the day 
of the sun or the first day of the week. This law 
did not call into existence Sunday or Lord’s Day, 
as some assert. It was at this time generally ob¬ 
served by the Church. One Church council at least 
had, as has been mentioned before, taken action on 
it. The Councils of Elvira which met sixteen years 
before this, decreed, “ that all who abstained them¬ 
selves three Lord’s Days from Church service, that 
they should be suspended.” Though an avowed 
Christian and submitting to its rites, yet Constan¬ 
tine’s failure to connect Sunday with the resurrec¬ 
tion of Christ is not due to any leaning to the pagan 
form of worship ; it is rather the policy of a wise 
statesman. This no doubt was a political expedi¬ 
ent designed to weld together the two rival reli¬ 
gious factions of his empire without giving offence 
to either. Even the coins which he issued had 


Relation of Lord's Lay to Jewish Sabbath. 147 

the image of Christ on one side and Apollo on 
the other. Had he connected Sunday with the 
Resurrection, it would have displeased a consider¬ 
able portion of his soldiers and subjects and thus 
would have no doubt produced serious results. 
The Romans worshipped the sun on the second 
day of the week, and Christians observed the very 
same day in honor of Christ; and in appointing 
the first day of the week as a rest day in cities and 
towns without giving a reason, he gave no offence 
to the pagan element and fully satisfied the de¬ 
mands of the Christians. However he exhorted 
his soldiers to worship the one true God. 

The custom of observing the first day of the 
week had spread all over Christendom, else it 
would have been literally impossible for Constan¬ 
tine to enforce such a law. The whole history of 
humanity has demonstrated again and again how 
futile it is to arbitrarily force a religious custom 
at once upon any people with opposing convic¬ 
tions. The enactments of previous councils show 
how strictly the day was regarded before Con¬ 
stantine’s time. 

It is pertinent to note, that the Sunday of the 
Romans was not the first day of the week, nor 
the seventh day of the week. Saturday, or the 
day dedicated to the God Saturn, was the first 


148 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

day of the astrological week of the Romans; and 
Friday, or the day dedicated to the God Venus, 
was the seventh day of the week. All the days 
were dedicated to some divinity: Saturday to the 
God Saturn; Sunday to the sun god; Monday to 
the moon god; Tuesday to Mars; Wednesday 
to Mercury; Thursday to Jupiter; and Friday to 
Venus. The sun of course being the largest 
luminary would receive the most homage. But 
in that age they did not abstain from labor on that 
day in honor of their god; they had no regular 
rest days, for all days with them were worship 
days. The above order of the divinities is a 
matter of much interest to many. If the sun 
were the greatest divinity, why not have it placed 
first in the list? This order was taken from 
Egypt in the year A.D. 150, and they in turn 
from Babylon who first established the system. 
The Babylonians devoted each hour of the day to 
the divinities in their order. The god that pre¬ 
sided over the first hour of the day had special 
supervision over the whole day. They com¬ 
menced the system with Saturn, the most distant 
planet, whereas in ancient India they commenced 
the week with the moon, as it was the nearest 
planet. In this way arose the order of the 
Roman week. It is plain that the Romans wor- 


Relation of Lord's Day to Jewish Sabbath . 149 

shipped every day of the week, but had no 
particular rest day during its later history. 

The statements of the Church Fathers con¬ 
tinue in the same line. Justin Martyr and Ter- 
tullian state expressly, that like circumcision 
the Sabbath is abolished under Christianity. The 
latter says: “ The precept to keep the Sabbath 
was not eternal, nor spiritual, but temporal which 
would one day cease.” 1 Irenaeus also indicates, 
“ that the Sabbath laws of the old dispensation 
as having no statutory force under the New Dis¬ 
pensation.” The epistle of Barnabas, while com¬ 
mending the eighth day, speaks of the Lord as 
having abolished Jewish sacrifices, new moons, 
and sabbaths. 2 The Sabbath, according to his 
view, was no longer binding and was not 
enforced. 

Bardesanes contrasts the observance of the 
Seventh Day by the Jews with that of the First 
Day by the Christians, implying two separate insti¬ 
tutions, and that the latter did not regard the 
First Day as a continuation of the Jewish Sab¬ 
bath, but rather as a distinct and separate institu¬ 
tion. 3 Victorinus says: “Christ abolished the 

1 Church History by Sheldon, Yol. i., 275. 

2 A. N. L., Vol. i., 103, 128. 

8 Sunday by Hessey, 291. 


150 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

Sabbath with his own body.” 1 But a thing that 
is abolished cannot yet be in force. And Euse¬ 
bius, whose word carries great weight, says: “ Nor 
do we keep the Sabbath because such things do 
not belong to Christians.” 2 The implication is, 
that Jewish laws and institutions had no binding 
authority on Christians. Athanasius speaks em¬ 
phatically of the Sabbath, as having deceased, 3 
which statement he would not have made, if its 
observance were still obligatory under the new 
name. Athanasius is credited with saying in 
“ De Sabbatis ” that “ The Lord transferred the 
Sabbath to the Lord’s Day.” 4 This is so utterly 
at variance with his statements in his other works 
that it has been positively rejected by scholars as 
not genuine. The words of Hessey ought to be 
conclusive: “Another work ascribed to Atha¬ 
nasius, and entitled ‘ De Sabbatis,’ I reject for 
reasons assigned by the Benedictines without 
scruple. They speak most slightingly of it, and 
Fabricius has not a word to advance in its favor. 
I only mention it because of a peculiar phrase 
which is found in it, and which has by some been 

1 Book of the Laws of Countries. 

2 Eccl. History, Book III., chap, xxvii. 

8 Sunday by Hessey, p. 68. 

4 Ibid., p. 69, 70. 


Relation of Lord's Day to Jewish Sabbath. 151 

interpreted as declaring that the Sabbath lives in 
the Lord’s Day. Even admitting, which we can¬ 
not, the treatise to be genuine, the words need 
mean, when taken with the context, no more than 
this, ‘ The Sabbath, the shadow of things to come, 
is no more. The truth and the Lord of truth 
have been magnified, and are commemorated in 
the Lord’s Day.’” 

Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem (a.d. 345), in¬ 
structs the people to “ abstain from all observance 
of Sabbaths.” 1 Epiphanius speaks of the great 
Sabbath rest in Christ, to which the smaller or 
original one was an introduction. 2 He states 
clearly that the Jewish Sabbath, being an intro¬ 
duction, is abolished. 

Gregory of Nyssa regards the Sabbath “ as a 
Jewish institution.” 3 If so, it in no sense affects 
Christians. Jerome comparing Jewish and Chris¬ 
tian institutions, places the Sabbath with the for¬ 
mer. 4 Augustine declares, “ that the rest of the 
Sabbath we consider no longer binding as an ob¬ 
servance.” 6 It is very plain that the fourth 
commandment had no statutory force under the 
new covenant. 

1 Lives of the Fathers, Cyril, p. 5. 4 Ibid., p. 73. 

2 Sunday, p. 71. 6 Ibid., p. 75. 

3 Ibid., p. 72. 


152 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

It has been objected that, although the Sabbath 
is abolished, the fourth commandment is not 
abrogated. If the Sabbath is abolished how can 
the Sabbath commandment be still in force? It 
was the commandment that gave the Sabbath its 
life, validity and source of obligation. Now in 
order to annul it, the authority that gave it exis¬ 
tence and validity, must necessarily be annulled. 
If the Lord’s Day was the Sabbath then the Sab¬ 
bath was not abolished, but only moved to another 
day of the week. No writer of the early centuries 
ever quoted the fourth commandment as a reason 
for keeping the Lord’s Day, for then they would 
be putting themselves again under the authority 
of the law. ’Tis true, as some writers of the early 
Church have intimated, the Sabbath is yet in force 
in the sense of a spiritual rest (Sabbath) in Christ, 
in which case all days are Lord’s Days. Such 
references as “ Sabbath typical of the great Sab¬ 
bath in Christ,” “ Sabbath a shadow of things to 
come ” which is Christ, cannot be construed to 
refer to the Lord’s Day but rather to the whole 
Gospel Dispensation. 

We have, therefore, failed to find a single fact 
to convince us of the great change from the Jewish 
Sabbath to the Lord’s Day. There is nothing to 
show that the Lord’s Day was founded on the 


Relation of Lord's Day to Jewish Sabbath. 153 

ancient site of the Sabbath, or was a continuation 
of it, or had its authority in a Jewish command, or 
that its observance was based on the prescription 
of the fourth commandment. No Christian insti¬ 
tution is or can be consistently grounded on the 
statutes of a Jewish law. One of our greatest 
authorities on the Sabbath question gives expres¬ 
sion to these significant words: “ In no clearly 
genuine passage that I can discover in any writer 
of these two centuries, or in any public document 
ecclesiastical or civil, is the fourth commandment 
referred to as the ground of the obligation to 
observe the Lord’s Day. In no passage is there 
any hint of the transfer of the Sabbath to the 
Lord’s Day, or of the planting of the Lord’s Day 
on the ruins of the Sabbath.” 1 

The period referred to above is the fourth and 
fifth centuries, but he makes similar remarks 
regarding the first three centuries. The Jewish 
Sabbath possibly supplied a model or type but had 
no statutory force to those who were not under 
the law. This idea is sustained by another pains¬ 
taking author, whose candor and critical acumen 
render his conclusions of great value. His sum¬ 
ming up is found in the following words: “ The 
utmost connection predicated in the first five, 
1 Sunday by Hessey, p. 86. 


154 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

perhaps we may say six, centuries between the 
Jewish and the Christian day appear in the idea, 
very rarely expressed, that the former was in a 
sense emblematic of the latter.” 1 The heathen 
Sabbath was a model to the Jews as regards a 
septenary division of time, but the authority of 
the Jewish Sabbath was not based on heathen 
commands, customs, or institutions. So likewise 
was the Jewish Sabbath a model for the Christian’s 
worship day, but that in no way is to be considered 
an authority for the observance of the Lord’s Day. 
They were two separate institutions, one having 
no causal relation to the other. 


1 Sheldon’s Church History, Yol. i., 488. 


Relation of Christ to Sabbath of the Jews . 155 


CHAPTER IV. 

RELATION OF CHRIST TO THE SABBATH OF 
THE JEWS. 

From the first it was the purpose of Christ 
to inaugurate a reign of love and righteousness. 
The kingdom of heaven, which was nothing more 
than the kingdom of righteousness here on earth, 
was the central theme and key note of all his 
discourses. Christ while on earth doubtless con¬ 
formed more or less, as it was expedient, to the 
customs of his Jewish brethren, but his ultimate 
purpose and aim crops out again and again. At 
first in the beginning of his ministry he said: 
“ I came not to destroy the law and the prophets 
but to fulfil.” This law was fulfilled only in 
love; this no doubt was his meaning, for he 
immediately began to wipe out objectionable 
features of the Jewish law. For instance the 
law of divorce, though it was given by Moses at 
the direction of God, yet he caused it to be 
annulled. So also was the law of revenge. His 


156 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

attitude can be further gathered from passages 
like this: “Ye have heard it said by them of old 
time.” He does not say “ the Scriptures,” but 
them of ancient times. It certainly lacked the 
reverence that the Jews held towards the Sacred 
Writings. If this were translated into our ver¬ 
nacular it would strike our ears, as it did the 
listening Jew, something like this: “Ye have 
heard it said by some antiquated men.” From 
such texts his attitude towards the law could not 
be mistaken. His parables concerning the new 
piece of cloth on an old garment, and also the 
new wine in new bottles, clearly teach us that 
Christianity was entirely new in spirit and form, 
and not intended to be a part of, or a patching on, 
to a Jewish system. The old garment and the 
old bottles of wine, which stand for Judaism, are, 
part and parcel, laid aside as useless and some¬ 
thing better put in their place. If he were loyal 
to the letter of the law then these words are 
devoid of meaning. 

Because the circumstances demanded that he 
should passively conform to the ceremonial part 
of the law, there is nothing in that which would 
make it binding on all succeeding generations. 
Any other course would prejudice the Jews 
against him and he would consequently be unable 


Relation of Christ to Sabbath of the Jews. 157 

to influence or lead them in the direction of his 
great reformation. 

When Christ healed the leper, he thus in¬ 
structed him: “ Go thy way, and show thyself 
to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing accord¬ 
ing as Moses commanded.” 1 This is one cere¬ 
monial commandment that Christ gave during 
his brief ministry. It is not implied by this act, 
that he intended such ceremonial to be binding. 
His talk with the woman of Samaria implies that 
all ceremonials were to be done away with, and 
that not only for the future, but they at present 
were of no avail. “ But the hour cometh, and 
now is , when the true worshipper shall worship 
the Father in spirit and truth.” 2 All his other 
commands were ethical. At the close of his 
ministry the sign of a disciple was love, and sal¬ 
vation was not based upon the performance of 
the law, but by believing on him and thereby 
entering upon the new life. The mission of his 
life was to bear witness to the truth, and be him¬ 
self truth incarnate, or love incarnate. This new 
religion that he presented was without priests, 
temple, sacrifice, ritual, formal laws and ordi¬ 
nances. Love to God and man was the essential 
factor; simply goodness or God-likeness without 

2 John iv. 23. 


1 Luke v. 14. 


158 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

laws or ceremonies. It was in spirit and truth, 
that this new form of religion was to consist. 
This was the kingdom of God which he empha¬ 
sized so much during his earthly career. It was 
nothing more nor less than the kingdom of right¬ 
eousness here on earth, under the direction of the 
Messiah or vicegerent of God. The teaching, ordi¬ 
nances, offices, etc., were to grow out of the Chris¬ 
tian consciousness of his followers. Not a word is 
said about a New Testament book, bishops, deacons, 
order of service, Christmas, Sunday, Good Friday, 
etc. All these are left to the consecrated common 
sense of Christians. They were to choose from 
time to time what was for the best interests of the 
Church, or rather the kingdom of God. 

It is singular that in all Christ’s teaching he 
never emphasized Sabbath observance. When the 
young ruler came to inquire of him concerning 
eternal life, Christ told him to keep the command¬ 
ments. He named five, leaving entirely out 
of the enumeration the Sabbath commandment. 
Only some moral commandments were mentioned, 
as these were all that were necessary. This again 
supports the proposition that his religion was 
ethical. Indeed he did not scrupulously observe 
the Sabbath himself. We have the authoritative 
statement in the Gospel of Luke that he attended 


Relation of Christ to Sabbath of the Jews. 159 

a feast at a Pharisee’s house on the Sabbath day. 
This would involve the preparation of a fire, etc., 
which was forbidden. Surely this does not indi¬ 
cate that he held even with ordinary reverence 
the fourth commandment. Those commandments 
that he deemed essential and useful he specifically 
mentioned, and no law that he considered impor¬ 
tant was left unnoticed. He picked out and 
applied the ethical laws of the Old Testament 
that were specially fitting to the time and coun¬ 
try. He saw that the Sabbath was only a form 
— that of rest merely — and as such it was not 
essential in the new kingdom. 

A rehearsal of the Sabbath controversies in 
which Christ figured, will help to gain a clear 
view of the question, for in them the motive of 
Christ is plainly revealed. He engaged in six 
controversies, with the Jews concerning the Sab¬ 
bath. The first is found in that chapter which 
relates to the healing of the cripple at Bethesda. 
In the first place, Jesus told the man to take up 
his bed and walk. Now this is certainly a viola¬ 
tion of the law, “ Thou shalt bear no burden on the 
sabbath day.” His reason for doing so is boldly 
expressed thus, “ My Father worketh even until 
now, and I work.” 1 He offers no excuse for 


i John y. 17. 


160 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

breaking the Sabbath. This is a direct contra¬ 
diction to the priestly idea, where we are in¬ 
structed to rest because God rested, but Christ 
reverses it, and says that he works because God 
works. In fact this really does away with the 
Sabbath, at least so far as the rest element is 
concerned. On that day “ The grass grows, the 
rain rains, and the wind blows,” which are God’s 
works. Now if God himself works and does 
such things on the Sabbath, the only inference 
from it is, that it is legitimate for man to 
work on that day. There seems to be no escape 
from the conclusion that Christ intended or 
wished to wipe out the institution as it then 
existed. 

The second controversy relates to the plucking 
and eating of corn by Christ and his disciples. 1 
We gather from the context that Christ and his 
disciples were out travelling on the Sabbath Day, 
which was in itself a disregard of the command¬ 
ment, “Let no man go out of his place on the 
Sabbath Day.” Furthermore the act of plucking 
and winnowing corn was contrary to their law, 
unless life were involved ; and here life was not 
involved. It was laid down as a general principle, 
“ That all danger to life should supersede the 


1 Luke vi. 1. 


Relation of Christ to Sabbath of the Jews. 161 

Sabbath.” 1 According to Schwab, the Master and 
his disciples, were out for a walk in the suburbs 
of Capernaum, where they could get food if they 
wanted to. 2 The answer to one objection to this 
conduct was the recital about David’s eating the 
shewbread. David broke the Levitical law for the 
same reason that the priests labored on the Sab¬ 
bath, that is, because they were doing the will of 
God. We find here the mild hint that if any are 
truly in the service of God the form of resting may 
be ignored. This practically abolished the Jewish 
Sabbath. In this controversy Christ further 
added, “ The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.” 
The implication is that his commands superseded 
the law of Moses. He was Master of the Sabbath 
and could change, or do away with it, as the 
circumstances demanded. This evidently could 
not be a moral principle, for a moral principle 
could never be done away with, or be changed at 
will, neither is any one master of these principles, 
but they are master of us. The facts of the 
matter, seem to be that Christ wished to annul the 
formal Sabbath together with the law and put in 
its stead divine life and righteousness. 

1 The Jewish People in the Time of Christ, by Shurer, Div. 
II., Yol. ii., 104. 

2 The Sabbath in History by Schwab. 


162 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

The next controversy was concerning the man 
with a withered hand. 1 Here again he broke 
through the Jewish conception of the law. Ac¬ 
cording to the Rabbinical law, if there was danger 
of death, work was to be allowed; but the Jews 
thought in this case there was no danger of death 
before the next day. 

The fourth controversy, recorded in John, refers 
to the restoration of a blind man to sight. For so 
doing Christ justifies himself with the reply: “ We 
must work the works of him that sent me while it 
is day; the night cometh when no man can work.” 2 
The special sacredness of one day in seven is not 
conceded here, but it is in accord with his purpose 
to break down all formalism and reveal the true 
religion. 

The fifth controversy, is that over the curing of 
the paralytic woman, 3 and that of the sixth, where 
a man was cured of the dropsy, 4 which are similar 
in kind to that of the third controversy. 

Christ said nothing indicating that he wished to 
perpetuate the Jewish Sabbath. Two statements 
in his ministry have been much emphasized. The 
first is: “ The Sabbath was made for man and not 
man for the Sabbath.” 5 The content of this 

1 Math. xii. 10, 13. 3 Luke xiii. 11, 17. 6 Mark ii. 27. 

2 John ix. 4. 4 Ibid., xiv. 1, 6. 


Relation of Christ to Sabbath of the Jews . 163 

statement is, that the Sabbath was originally 
designed for man’s good ; it took a backward look 
upon the day and gave the reason for its origin. 
It was designed to be instrumental in disciplimng 
and training a tribe of slaves to respect and rever¬ 
ence God, and finally to unfold the principle of 
love or God-likeness. The future is neither in¬ 
volved in this, nor is there a command to observe 
it implied. The future is no more included in 
this than the command that Christ gave to the 
leper to go and show himself to the priest and 
offer for his cleansing, according as Moses com¬ 
manded. 1 In the parable of the rich man and 
Lazarus, the text is found : “ They have Moses 
and the prophets, let them hear them.” It is per¬ 
tinent to inquire, How far into the future did 
Christ intend these words to reach ? The “ Spirit 
of Christ ” which casts aside the authority of Moses 
and the prophets, lays aside also the “ Sabbath for 
man ” text. 

The second statement refers to the destruction of 
Jerusalem and is expressed in these words : “ Pray 
that your flight be not in winter, neither on a Sab¬ 
bath.” 2 Now the city gates were closed on the 
Sabbath day, so therefore their escape was made 
impossible on that day. If their flight was in the 
1 Luke v. 14. 2 Math. xxiv. 20. 


164 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

winter they would perish in the mountains. His 
reasons for this injunction is then obvious to all. 
It is plain that he thought the institution of the 
Sabbath would continue after his death among the 
Jews, at least beyond the time of the city’s de¬ 
struction ; but this is not commanding its eternal 
observance. We have reason to believe that he 
would have done away with the Sabbath even 
before this or before his death, if love could have 
been substituted. “ A new commandment,” Christ 
says, “ I give unto you that ye love one another. 1 
He plainly taught that obedience to the Sabbath 
commandment was not necessary to insure an en¬ 
trance into heaven. The incident connected with 
the young ruler unmistakably suggests this truth. 
In answer to the inquiries about eternal life, 
Christ told him to keep the following command¬ 
ments: Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit 
adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not 
bear false witness, Honor thy father and mother: 
and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” 2 
Only five commandments of the decalogue are 
mentioned. Can one therefore ignore the other 
five and yet enter heaven? If we closely note 
each of the five omitted, we must see the reason 
for his ignoring them. The first commandment 
1 John xiii. 34. 


2 Math. xix. 18. 


Relation of Christ to Sabbath of the Jews . 165 

was not to worship idols. This was applicable to 
the Jew only when he was practising idolatry, and 
does not involve a command to worship the true 
and living God. The second commandment, not 
to make graven images, only refers to tribes in the 
habit of image worship, and is not an exhortation 
to love the God of the Jews. The third command¬ 
ment, not to mention the name of Yahweh — the 
national name for the God of the Jews—is 
utterly at variance with the conception of propriety 
in divine worship. For a more thorough exami¬ 
nation of this commandment see the chapter on 
“ Moral Significance of the Laws of the Decalogue.” 
The fourth commandment, “ Keep the sabbath day 
holy ” was a ceremonial commandment to merely 
rest from labor as an evidence of loyalty to God. 
This is simply an outward form whose authority 
for observance arises not from the nature of things 
but from a formal command. The tenth command¬ 
ment is “ Thou shalt not covet.” This may be 
right or wrong according to what is coveted. 
Paul says : “ Covet earnestly the best gifts.” In 
this case coveting is all right. We are then to 
covet that which is good and avoid coveting that 
which is wrong. When the command says, “ Thou 
shalt not covet,” it is meant in an evil sense. 

It seems from Christ’s words that obedience to 


166 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

the remaining five commandments, viz., the fifth, 
sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, was necessary to gain 
an entrance into the kingdom of heaven. So 
Christ himself reduced the decalogue to a penta- 
logue. 

From this review it is safe to conclude that the 
attitude of Christ to the Sabbath was that of pas¬ 
sive obedience, but with determined aim, to set up 
in its place his kingdom of righteousness and love 
in the hearts of men. 


The Jewish Sabbath Abolished. 


167 


CHAPTER V. 

THE JEWISH SABBATH ABOLISHED. 

It evidently was the purpose of Christ to es¬ 
tablish a spiritual religion, without ceremonies of 
any kind. A religion, which would manifest it- 
self in acts prompted by the disposition of the 
heart rather than in outward forms and ordinances 
having no relation with daily life, was the ideal 
he constantly kept in mind. The key note of his 
ministry was given, as he conversed with the 
woman of Samaria when she came to the well to 
draw water. This is his statement: “But the 
hour cometh and now is , when the true worship¬ 
pers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth.” 1 
This verse at one stroke wiped away all outward 
forms, so far as they were considered essential to 
godliness. His whole system of religion rested on 
two pillars, the one was love to God and the other 
love to man, without the special requirement of 
temple exercises. Towards the close of his minis¬ 
try love was the only sign of a child of God. In 
1 John iv. 23. 


168 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

his last sermon to his disciples he gave a new com¬ 
mandment in the words, “ A new commandment I 
give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have 
loved you that ye also love one another.” 1 He 
then declared that whosoever believed in him and 
followed him should be saved. Upon the depar¬ 
ture of Christ his disciples continued to emphasize 
the spiritual heart worship without the necessity 
of the requirements of the law. To them Christ 
was all in all. Through the excellency of the 
knowledge of Christ, they in a measure lost sight 
of the law. If they had not the spirit of Christ 
they were none of his. They were required to 
“put on Christ .” Christ in them was their “ hope 
of glory.” They were also to be baptized unto 
him. He represented himself as the light of the 
world; also the way, the truth, and the life. He 
was the true vine and all were to abide in him. 
He was going to the other world to prepare a place 
for them and then to come again to take them 
home to mansions above. The law lost its super¬ 
stitious reverence when compared with the tran¬ 
scendent light of the Sun of Righteousness. 

In the letters of the apostles almost every letter 
abounds with references to the abolition of the 
law. All did not share these views at first, but 


1 John xiii. 34. 


The Jewish Sabbath Abolished. 


169 


the spirit of truth was now working and guiding. 
So a council was called at Jerusalem to decide 
what was obligatory upon Gentile Christians. All 
Paul’s epistles make it clear that the Mosaic Law 
was substituted by the law of Christ. In the 
letter to the Galatian Church, speaking with refer¬ 
ence to the Abrahamic Covenant, Paul says, “ The 
law was added because of transgressions till the 
seed should come,” etc. 1 What law was in opera¬ 
tion before the seed or Christ came ? It was the 
Mosaic law, and when Christ came then it was of 
service no longer. 

The law was looked upon in the light of tutor 
to train for a higher stage of life. In this connec¬ 
tion Paul declares, that the “ law hath been our 
tutor to bring us unto Christ, but now that faith 
[in Christ] is come, we are no longer under a 
tutor.” 2 Is this the ceremonial law, as is claimed 
by a certain class of people? In the preceding 
verse it reads, “ But before faith [in Christ] came, 
we were kept in ward under the law shut up unto 
the faith that should be afterwards revealed.” 
What law were the Jews under before Christ 
came, the ceremonial or moral? No other answer 
can be given than that of the Mosaic law. 

The law was also looked upon as prophetic of 
1 Gal. iii. 19. 2 Ibid., 24. 


170 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

a better state of things. This idea is clearly pre¬ 
sented in the text, “ Let no man therefore judge 
you in meat and drink, or in respect of a feast 
day, or a new moon, or of a Sabbath day; which 
are a shadow of things to come; but the body is 
of Christ.” 1 According to this the Sabbath was a 
shadow , and when we have the substance the 
mission of the shadow is ended. The assertion 
is made by at least one body of Christians that 
the Sabbath here refers to certain Sabbatic feasts, 
the Sabbatic year, and the year of Jubilee. In 
the first place it states distinctly “ A Sabbath day.” 
In the second place the same lists mentioned in the 
verse above are frequently found in the Law and 
the Prophets and comprises the whole list of 
special days — weekly Sabbaths, new moons and 
annual feasts. In Ezekiel the prince makes his 
offerings for the people at the feasts, “ On the 
new moons and in the Sabbaths.” No sacred day 
is left out, neither could it be, for sacred days 
must have their appropriate offerings, the prince 
being the officiating priest, and to drop out a 
sacred day would be an inexcusable offence against 
God. The context goes on to prescribe the special 
offerings for the Sabbath day, the special offerings 
for the new moon and the special offerings for the 
i Col. ii. 16. 


The Jewish Sabbath Abolished . 


171 


feasts. Now these three kinds of days are identi¬ 
cal in meaning and expression with the verse we 
have been considering; therefore the Sabbath 
spoken of is the weekly Sabbath day. 

We are plainly told in the letter to the Ephe¬ 
sians that the law is abolished. In the second 
chapter the Apostle is showing how Christ made 
Jews and Gentiles both one, having broken down 
the middle wall of partition between them, and 
then goes on to say: “ Having abolished in his 
flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments 
contained in ordinances; that he might create in 
himself of the twain one new man.” 1 The 
commandments were none other than all laws 
contained in the Jewish code. 

The sacred Word goes one step farther and 
declares that the law is blotted out. The writer 
of Colossians afhrms, that while they were dead 
in their sins Christ quickened them and forgave 
them their trespasses, and adds “ Having blotted 
out the bond written in ordinances that was 
against us, which was contrary to us; and hath 
taken it out of the way nailing it to the cross.” 2 
The ordinances or laws that were against them 
were those that produced sin and death, and not 
merely ritual laws. 

1 Eph. ii. 15. 


2 Col. ii. 14. 


172 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday, 

Another passage similar in thought to the 
above is found in the letter to the church of 
Galatia. The author of the epistle draws the 
analogy between the two sons of Abraham and 
the two covenants. The son of the bondwoman, 
born after the flesh, represented the old covenant 
from Sinai; and the son of the freewoman, born 
by promise, represented the new covenant. This 
is followed by the quotation, “ cast out the bond- 
woman and her son: for the son of the handmaid 
shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman. 
Wherefore brethren, we are not children of a 
handmaid, but of the freewoman.” 1 This unmis¬ 
takably supports the idea that the law is cast out 
or abolished. 

The following verses are conclusive regarding 
the abolition of the Mosaic law. “ God sent 
forth his son, born of a woman, born under the 
law, that he might redeem them which were under 
the law.” 2 Was it the ceremonial law or part of 
the Jewish law that Christ was bora under? It 
was the complete Jewish legal system, and now 
they are redeemed from it by Christ. 

We have come now to the specific declaration 
that when one is led by the Spirit he are not 
under the law, “ But if ye are led by the Spirit 
1 Gal. iv. 80. 2 ibid., 4, 5. 


The Jewish Sabbath Abolished. 


173 


ye are not under the law.” ] To make sure what 
law is meant, it is preceded in the context with 
“ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even 
in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” 2 
It is evident from this that “ love ” which is 
identical with the work of the Spirit, is the sub¬ 
stitute for the law, not some commands of the law, 
but, as the text says, the whole law. The same 
thought is expressed in the letter to the Roman 
church in the words, “For sin shall not have 
dominion over you; for ye are not under the law 
but under grace.” 3 The law referred to in the 
quotation has a moral element in it, because when 
broken it produces sin. It must then be the 
Jewish law as a whole. 

The Roman converts were taught that they 
were “ discharged from the law.” The glad mes¬ 
sage is preceded by these words: “ When we 
were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were 
through the law, wrought in our members to 
bring forth fruit unto death,” and then adds, 
“ But now we have' been discharged from the 
law.” 4 An Armenian taken out of the hand 
of the cruel Turk, and brought to this “ Land of 
the free,” is delivered from the law of the Turks 

1 Gal. v. 18. 8 Rom. vi. 14. 

2 Ibid., iv. 14. 4 Ibid., vii. 6. 


174 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

and no longer under their dominion. Paul had 
a similar experience. They were ground down 
under the multitudinous laws of Moses, in bond¬ 
age, miserable and wretched, but Christ took them 
out of this condition, giving them freedom and 
happiness. 

The church in Galatia was instructed that 
Christ had redeemed them from the curse of the 
law. What law, with its curse, were they under? 
Why the booh of the law as is expressed in a verse 
in this connection. “ Cursed is every one that 
continueth not in all things that are written in the 
book of the law.” 1 Not a part of the law, but 
all things in the book of the law. A parallel is 
found in the case of a slave who is purchased of 
his master and made a freeman. He is no longer 
under the penalties of the slave law. So is the 
slave to the law under bondage, but when he is 
redeemed or bought with a price, he is freed from 
the old law and consequently freed from its curse 
or penalty. 

Paul emphatically declares that “ we are dead 
to the law by the body of Christ,” and makes a 
comparison to the woman whose first husband 
died and was wedded to a second one. 2 Now she 
is no longer under the law of the first, for he is 
1 Gal. iii. 10. 2 Rom. vii. 2. 


The Jewish Sabbath Abolished. 


175 


dead, but rather subject to another. The law in 
the text refers to the whole law including the 
decalogue, for reading on a little, there is found a 
commandment, “ Thou shalt not covet,” particu¬ 
larized, which is taken from the commandments 
written on stones. 

“ The ministration of death (law) written and 
engraven in stone,” 1 which was done away with, 
is a strong text substantiating the theory of the 
abolition of the law. An able authority in a very 
recent work makes the statement that all that the 
Scriptures tell us is that, “ The glory of Moses’ 
countenance was to be done away.” In the con¬ 
text Paul, while endeavoring to encourage the 
loyalty of the Corinthians, and impressing upon 
them the genuineness of his ministry — the min¬ 
istry of the Spirit — shows that the excellency of 
his ministry is superior to the ministry of the law 
as righteousness is superior to condemnation. In 
the course of his argument he says, “ But if the 
ministration of death written and engraven on 
stones came with glory, etc.” Now it was the law 
that was engraven on stones, and it was that, that 
was glorious, and Moses’ countenance was only 
typical of the law. Again he gives the same 
thought in the statement, “ For if the ministra- 
1 2 Cor. iii. 7. 


176 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

tion of condemnation be glory, much rather 
doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in 
glory.” It is quite evident that the ministry of 
condemnation is the ministry of the law, for the 
apostle says in Romans the law brought forth 
wrath, sin, death and condemnation. Here is 
his matchless conclusion. “For if that which 
passeth away was with glory, much more that 
which remaineth is in glory.” If it were the glory 
of Moses’ countenance that passed away, then 
substitute that thought in the above quotation 
and it would read “ For the glory of Moses’ coun¬ 
tenance was with glory,” etc. It is needless to 
remark that the expression is meaningless and 
must be rejected. Some real thing passed away 
that was glorious, and some real thing substituted 
in its place, existing to-day, that was more glori¬ 
ous. 1 Paul evidently was contrasting the law and 
the gospel, the former having passed away while 
the latter yet remains. 

The first covenant “ is becoming old and is nigh 
to vanishing away,” and “ He taketh away the 
first that he may establish the second,” 2 are texts 
of great value in this relation. The second cove¬ 
nant comes into force at the death of Christ, at 
which time the first covenant has passed away. 

1 2 Cor. iii. 2 Heb. ix. and x. Chaps. 


The Jewish Sabbath Abolished . 


m 


The first covenant is here described; and in it 
mention is made of the tables of the covenant , or 
the tables of stone on which the decalogue was 
written. This new and second covenant, which 
comes into operation at the death of the testator, 
is found in Jeremiah and in Hebrews. The tables 
of the law are taken away and a new code estab¬ 
lished, in which God’s law is put into the mind 
and heart. So we are under the new covenant and 
the old covenant or law is taken away, even what 
is written on tables of stone. If we take this as 
the language implies, we cannot avoid the infer¬ 
ence that the law, including the decalogue as a 
Jewish code, is abolished. 

One thing could not be made plainer to those 
under Paul’s supervision, and that is, they were 
free from the law that brought forth sin and death, 
while they were under the law of the Spirit. 
“ For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus 
made me free from the law of sin and death.” 
Then he goes on to show that “ what the law could 
not do ” was effected by Christ. Its purpose w'as 
to produce spiritual life and righteousness. The 
commandment, “ Thou shalt not steal,” gave no 
power to overcome the inward impulse to stealing, 
but the love for Christ and the appropriation of 
his spirit drove out the desire for stealing, thus 


178 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

giving spiritual power and a righteous life. That 
great work, the law could not do ; therefore, it 
was abolished. 

The Scriptures make plain that we are not 
justified by the deeds of the law. We are posi¬ 
tively told, “ that a man is justified by faith with¬ 
out the works of the law.” 1 Again, “ Because by 
the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in 
his sight.” 2 “ For through the law cometh the 

knowledge of sin.” Is this the ceremonial law? 
Does the ceremonial law produce sin? No, 
assuredly no ! It must have a moral element in 
it to bring forth sin, so the law understood is 
the whole Jewish law. In this chapter the author 
shows that all Jews and Gentiles have sinned and 
come short of the glory of God. The law could 
not put new life into them, but a substitute was 
found in Christ and by him are all justified. 
“ But now the righteousness of God without the 
law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and 
the prophets” is a self-evident text. No other 
thought than the five books of Moses is permissible 
from the language of the verse. It is only by the 
cleverest kind of jugglery that any other thought 
can be maintained than that the law was the five 
books of the law. 


1 Rom. iii. 28. 


2 Ibid., 20. 


The Jewish Sabbath Abolished . 


179 


The decision of the Council of Jerusalem ought 
to settle the matter. This decision was the ex¬ 
pression of the whole Church, including the apos¬ 
tles, elders and brethren, assembled in Jerusalem 
in a.d. 54. It seems that when the Gentiles em¬ 
braced Christianity, there arose two parties or 
factions in the Church, a Jewish faction and a 
Gentile faction. The Jewish element maintained 
that all must be circumcised and keep the whole 
law, the other party held that Christianity was 
something different from Judaism and not under 
its domination. The controversy continued for a 
long time, but at last the Church met together 
and ended the struggle. This Council required 
only four things of the Gentile converts. They 
were : “ That ye abstain from meats offered unto 
idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, 
and from fornication.” 1 These four provisions 
from the Mosaic law were imposed upon the 
Gentiles without the least mention of a Sabbath 
or any other holy day. The Council could not 
have ignored it if it were still binding on the 
Gentiles. This was the great emancipation act 
for the Gentiles, in which all other things of 
the law were swept away, including the Jewish 
Sabbath. 


1 Acts xv. 29. 


180 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

There is not, however, unanimity among Chris¬ 
tian scholars regarding the doing away of the law. 
A small minority hold to the binding effect of 
the law, and they fortify themselves behind a few 
texts of Scripture, paying little heed to what is 
clearly said on the contrary. We shall now de¬ 
vote a little space to objections raised by those 
who oppose this view, and give them a fair hear¬ 
ing, carefully weighing the texts advanced to 
support their position: — 

The first proof text is: “ It is easier for heaven 
and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the 
law to fail.” 1 This truly could not mean the 
letter of the law, for we find Jesus, in the Sermon 
on the Mount, abolishing portions of the written 
law. Here are specimens of his authoritative 
action : “Ye have heard that it was said by them 
of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but 
shall perform unto the Lord thine oaths: but I 
say unto you , Swear not at all” 2 In this particular 
instance Christ annuls statutes contained in the 
books of the law. “Ye have heard that it was 
said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth ; 
but I say unto you , That ye resist not him that is 
evilf etc . 3 The law of revenge is not simply 
changed, but completely prohibited. “Ye have 

1 Luke xvi. 17. 2 Math. v. 33, 34. 8 Ibid., 38, 39. 


The Jewish Sabbath Abolished. 


181 


heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neigh¬ 
bor, and hate thine enemy, but I say unto you , 
Love your enemies .” 1 Again the decree of the 
Jewish Lawgiver is abolished. There were many 
laws, some of which were important in the eyes of 
the Jews, that were completely wiped out by the 
Master himself, and one of his own inserted in its 
place. If the Sermon on the Mount were delivered 
all at one time, he evidently did not mean the 
letter of the law, but rather the spirit. His car¬ 
dinal commandments are: “ Thou shalt love the 
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy 
soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy 
mind,” and “ Thou shalt love thy neighbor as 
thyself.” On these two commandments hang all 
the law and the prophets. They constitute the 
heart of religion. They show that a right state 
of the heart is a sufficient substitute for the 
performance of the law. If, as it is asserted, 
the Sermon on the Mount was a collection of 
sayings from different parts of his active life, 
then this proof text was given in the first days 
of his ministry, and those sayings destructive of 
the written law were given in a later period of 
his labors. This is not improbable, for we see a 
broadening and growing process in his teachings 
i Math. v. 3, 44. 


182 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

and work. For instance, his method of present¬ 
ing truth at first was direct, but at a later stage 
of his ministry he taught by parables, giving 
at the same time the reason for his change. 
Again, at first he claimed to be sent to the lost 
sheep of the house of Israel, but in the closing 
days of his life we find his mission was to all the 
world, “ to draw all men unto himself.” 

The second text of those who maintain the legal 
view is found in the familiar seventh chapter of 
Romans. “ Wherefore the law is holy, and the 
commandment holy, and righteous, and good.” 1 
But the writer declares in the same Epistle that 
the law was ordained unto death, and that it 
worketh wrath or evil. 2 In these texts he is 
speaking of the law in certain relations. In the 
latter instance it implies that, if there had been no 
law, transgression would not have been imputed, 
and consequently no death by sin, or, in a word, 
the effect of the law was death; in the former 
case he is pointing out the purpose of the law. 
In verse 16 he explains how the law is good: 
“ But if what I would not, that I do, I consent 
unto the law, that it is good.” 3 It seems Paul 
is giving his own experience. When the law was 
given to him he was unable to live up to it, so he 
1 Rom. vii. 12. 2 Ibid., iv. 15 ; vii. 10. 8 Ibid., vii. 16. 


The Jewish Sabbath Abolished. 


183 


says that he died. The law produced sin in him, 
and slew him spiritually. Now the question to 
be solved was this, Was the law sin, seeing it 
caused so much sinfulness in him ? The answer 
is, No, “ the law is holy and righteous and 
good ” ; in other words, the law is all right in its 
purpose and not to be blamed; it is I, (Paul) 
that is weak and sinful. From the fact that he 
was unable to do that which he wished to do in 
the law, is an acknowledgment that the law was 
good. It is simply equivalent to the statement, 
that the law is not to be blamed for the sinfulness 
in Paul. It is true the whole Mosaic law was 
good for its day and had a grand mission, but, as 
it was faulty in that it failed to produce spiritual 
life, Christ came to take its place, and now we are 
no longer under its dominion. 

Timothy receives direction from his spiritual 
father concerning the law in the words, “ But we 
know that the law is good if a man use it law¬ 
fully ; as knowing this, that the law is not made 
for a righteous man, but for the lawless and un¬ 
ruly, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy 
and profane, for murderers of fathers and mur¬ 
derers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, 
for abusers of themselves with men, for men- 
stealers, for liars, for false swearers, or any other 


184 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; accord¬ 
ing to the gospel of the glory of our blessed God 
which was committed to my trust.” 1 The author 
of this epistle is referring to some self-conceited 
persons who are trying to be Rabbins or teachers 
of the law and talking about things of which they 
were ignorant. He states that the law is good, if 
one use it lawfully, that is, if he understands its 
purpose, aim, limitation, present significance, and 
knows how to apply it to a new dispensation of 
things. He names a list of things that are a vio¬ 
lation of the teachings of Christ. They are 
wrong, not because they are found in the law, 
but because they are contrary to the gospel. Any 
Old Testament law that is in harmony with the 
teachings of Christ is still binding. This is using 
the law lawfully. 

Much emphasis is placed by some on the verse, 
44 Do we then make the law of none effect through 
faith ? God forbid: nay, we establish the law.” 2 
It is claimed that this is the Jewish law, or at 
least the ten commandments. But let us look 
at the facts in the case. It appears that there 
were some Antinomians who trampled on all law, 
civil, social and religious, declaring that 44 If ye 
believe it matters little what ye do.” Notice 
1 1 Tim. i. 8-10. 2 Rom. iii. 31. 


The Jewish Sabbath Abolished. 


185 


particularly in the original that it is not the law 
but, “law.” It means only law in general, and 
not specially the Jewish code. Who backs up the 
law of the state and nation more than the sincere 
followers of Christ ? Faith in Christ does estab¬ 
lish all law of right doing whether civil or moral. 
No true Christian can consciously violate the just 
laws of any country, but rather would he live in 
harmony with them, support them, stand by them, 
enforce them, and confirm them; in other words 
establish them. So faith in Christ does lead one 
to make and maintain or establish all just laws 
against wrong doing. 

Another verse frequently cited by those friendly 
to the Judaizing tendency, is found in the passage, 
“ Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is 
nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of 
God.” 1 Could Paul mean the keeping of the ten 
commandments ? He never enumerated them as 
a condition of salvation. He did name five of 
them at one time, but no more. Let us look at 
the context. He is giving advice to the Corin¬ 
thian converts, and in some cases the advice is his 
own personal judgment, and in others he feels he 
is voicing the will of God. In verse 6 he says, 
“ But this I say by way of permission, and not of 
1 1 Cor. vii. 19. 


186 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

commandment.” 1 In verse 10, “I gave charge, 
yea, not I, but the Lord.” In verse 12, “ To the 
rest say I, not of the Lord,” and in verse 25, 
“ Now concerning virgins I have no commandment 
of the Lord: but I give my judgment.” When 
Christ ascended, he through the Holy Spirit gave 
commandments unto the apostles. The command¬ 
ments included directions to individuals and 
churches which Paul felt came from the Holy 
Ghost. On this point he informs the Corinthian 
Church, “ If any man think himself to be a prophet, 
or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things 
which I write unto you that they are the command¬ 
ment of the Lord.” 2 This makes it clear that the 
commandments referred to were merely Paul’s 
orders or directions which he got from the Lord to 
certain converts and churches. 

The declaration of Paul that he had “done 
nothing against the people, or the customs of our 
fathers ” 3 is taken as an argument that the law is 
still in force. While he labored among the Jews, 
he no doubt conformed to their customs, which 
was a wise thing to do. Any other course would 
prejudice those whom he wished to win. He says 
himself, “ To the Jew I became a Jew that I might 
win them ” yet “ not under the law.” 4 Because 
1 1 Cor. vi. 6. 2 Ibid., xiv. 37. 8 Acts xxviii. 17. 4 1 Cor. ix. 20. 


The Jewish Sabbath Abolished. 187 

he submitted to circumcision that does not obligate 
us to do the same. He stated clearly and em¬ 
phatically that he was “ Not under the law,” was 
“ dead to the law,” was “ delivered from the law 
by the body of Christ.” He evidently did not 
keep the customs of the fathers because they ivere 
binding on him, but because he could win more 
Jews by observing them; hence he inconven¬ 
ienced himself for their good. 

One more text for consideration which needs 
only a moment’s thought. It is, “ Sin is not 
imputed where there is no law.” 1 Does this 
imply that the Christian must be under the 
Mosaic law in order to know sin or wrong doing ? 
Sin was in the world before the law was given, 
but the law brought sin more clearly to the con¬ 
sciousness or made “ sin exceedingly sinful.” 
Christians do not need to go to the Old Testament 
law to know whether they are doing right or 
wrong, for the elementary moral laws of God are 
written in their minds and hearts. In the letter 
to Timothy it says, “ The law was not made for a 
righteous man, but for the lawless and unruly.” 2 
Judging by this verse, the righteous have no need 
of the law. If so, then sin is not determined by 
the law; for if right and wrong were determined 
1 Rom. v. 13. 2 1 Tim. i. 9. 


188 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

by the law, then it must be of service to the 
righteous, which is contrary to the thought of the 
text. To-day evil or sin is determined by our own 
consciousness or laws in the mind or heart. With 
young children and tribes in a rude stage of 
development, law determines the rightness or 
wrongness of a thing. After a certain amount of 
training the law becomes the property of the heart 
and mind, and there is no further use for it except 
for the evil doer. 

In closing this chapter it is pertinent to state 
that all the epistles abound with references direct 
and indirect to the abolition of the law. 

This law is not a fragment or some command¬ 
ments of the law but the entire Mosaic Law. “ All 
of the law,” “ books of the law,” the law that Christ 
was born under, the old covenant, etc., is so defi¬ 
nite that no other view than that of the entire 
Mosaic law can be taken. Now the Jewish Sabbath 
was part of this law and as the whole law is abol¬ 
ished the Sabbath is also abolished. We are then 
no longer under the authority of the Jewish Sab¬ 
bath. The first Christian council — the Council 
of Jerusalem — took this position when it required 
only four things of the Gentiles, completely ignor¬ 
ing the claims of the Sabbath. 


The Commandments Binding on Christians. 189 


CHAPTER VI. 

THE COMMANDMENTS THAT ARE BINDING 
ON CHRISTIANS. 

We have shown in a preceding chapter that the 
Sabbath law was abolished, and now the question 
presents itself, What laws and commandments are 
obligatory upon the followers of Christ? It is 
pertinent to note that the Old Testament was 
given specially to the Israelites. God does not 
fail to declare that it is the children of Israel to 
whom he is speaking, and gives at least one rea¬ 
son why they should obey Him — because that he 
led them out of the land of Egypt. The law does 
not seem intended for any other than the Hebrews, 
and consists in a collection of tribal rules and 
regulations to insure justice among themselves and 
loyalty to God from all. The decalogue itself is 
introduced in this manner: “ I am thy God which 
brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the 
house of bondage.” It is plain that the decalogue 
was only intended for the Jews. In Deuteronomy 


190 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

the Hebrews were instructed to keep the Sabbath 
because God brought them out of the land of 
Egypt. Ezekiel tells them that they are to keep 
the Sabbath for the reason that it is a sign be¬ 
tween God and Israel. The fifth commandment 
has another Jewish addenda attached to it con¬ 
sisting of the words: “ That thy days may be 
long upon the land which the Lord thy God 
giveth thee.” The land is unmistakably the 
promised land which was the special inheritance 
of the children of Israel. All of these laws, 
whether civil, ceremonial, moral or religious, were 
for the purpose of training and disciplining the 
minds of the Hebrews to principle and spirit, or 
Christ. A little child must be trained by laws 
until he feels in his heart the rightness or the 
wrongness of all the actions of daily life. While 
passing an orchard a child is under the temptation 
to take its fruit without the consent of its owner. 
The only thing that restrains him is the cast iron 
law with its penalty. If he could avoid the law 
he would help himself. On reaching maturity he 
is confronted with the same situation, and he this 
time says No, not because there is a law against 
stealing, but because he feels in his heart it is 
wrong. The law is written in his heart and mind, 
so that it has become part of his personality or 


The Commandments Binding on Christians. 191 

conscience. So the Israelites needed this legal 
training until they felt in their hearts the principle 
or spirit of the law. That inward feeling of love 
and righteousness was what the law pointed to. 
He who is in possession of this spirit fulfils the 
law though he may not obey the law in its letter. 
The two fundamental commandments of the law 
are: “ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all 
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy 
strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor 
as thyself.” 1 The implication here is that, if one 
loves God and man, he keeps the whole law in 
spirit and essence, and the mere form is not 
necessarily obligator}^ upon him. 

Again when Christ talked with the rich young 
man, he enumerated five commandments from the 
decalogue and one elsewhere, which were con¬ 
ditions of salvation. But the young man declared 
that he had kept them from his youth up. He 
no doubt had kept them outwardly, but Christ 
gave him a test which would decide whether or 
not, he had really the spirit in his heart. He said, 
“ Sell all that thou hast and distribute unto the 
poor.” 2 Selfishness in the young man’s heart 
caused him to go away very sorrowful. These 
commandments were not authoritative because they 

2 Ibid., xviii. 22. 


1 Luke x. 27. 


192 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

were found in a Jewish law book, but rather 
because they are simple moral principles commend¬ 
ing themselves to the consciousness. In the let¬ 
ter to the Galatian Church, it says that all the law 
is fulfilled in the command: “ Love thy neighbor 
as thyself,” 1 and in the Epistle to the Roman 
Church is a similar declaration: “ He that loveth 
another hath fulfilled the law.” 2 He continues 
and specifies what commandments they will obey 
if they love one another. Five of these command¬ 
ments are taken from the decalogue and one else¬ 
where. In another verse he tells why love is the 
fulfilling of the law, because : “ Love worketh no 
ill to his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of 
the law.” 

After Peter’s glorious vision on the housetop 
of Joppa he was shown its significance and ex¬ 
pressed it thus : “ I perceive that God is no re¬ 
specter of persons; but in every nation, he that 
feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accept¬ 
able to him.” 3 Reverencing God and doing right 
are, according to this, the conditions of approval 
of God. The text: “ The Kingdom of heaven is 
not eating and drinking, but righteousness and 
peace and joy in the Holy Ghost,” 4 bears a sim- 

1 Gal. v. 14. 8 Acts x. 34, 35. 

2 Rom. xiii. 8. 4 Rom. xiy. 17. 


The Commandments Binding on Christians. 193 

ilar thought to the above and follows in natural 
order. This new kingdom was a kingdom of 
righteousness and love, and no outward iron-cast 
rules or ceremonies were demanded. We may 
observe the form strictly, yet may not keep the 
law. It does not matter about the form so long 
as we have the essential spirit and feeling within. 
This is well expressed in the verse: “ Neither is 
circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a 
new creature.” 1 

Paul impressed upon the Romans that: “If 
any man hath not the spirit of Christ he is none 
of his.” That text constitutes the essential ele¬ 
ment in Christianity. The “ Christ in you ” was 
their hope of glory. The distinctive characteristic 
of a Christian is love. On that memorable last 
night of Christ upon earth, he gave his followers 
a new commandment which even eclipsed the 
cardinal precept: “ Thou shalt love thy neighbor 
as thyself.” “ A new commandment,” said he, 
“ I give unto you that ye love one another: even 
as I have loved you that ye also love one 
another.” 2 Salvation consisted not in doing the 
law, but by believing in Christ, because he was 
the spirit of God manifested in the flesh. “ He 
that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” None 
1 Gal. yi. 15. 2 John xiii. 34. 


194 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

could enter in unto the Father by the law, but by 
Christ or the putting on of Christ. 

From the foregoing it is self-evident that the 
only condition imposed upon the early disciples 
apart from believing in Christ was love and 
righteousness as exemplified by Christ. This con¬ 
dition was obtained by having faith in him. In 
Chapter V. it was shown that the law was abol¬ 
ished and we were no longer under its dominion. 
Yet in the New Testament, in many instances, Old 
Testament commands are mentioned as still in 
force. This is true, but they are not repeated 
because they are in the law book of the Jews, any 
more than if they were in the law book of the 
Buddhists. They are put there because they are 
in harmony with the teachings and spirit of Christ. 
A command from the Buddhistic decalogue says, 
“ Thou shalt not intoxicate thyself.” Christians 
obey this command to-day, not because it is from 
Buddha, but rather that it is right and in accord 
with the spirit of Christ. A Canadian coming to 
our shores obeys many laws that are in force in 
Canada. He does not obey them because they 
are Canadian laws, but because they are American 
laws, and as the Canadian laws harmonize with 
our laws they are binding upon us. In the same 
manner are the Old Testament laws binding on us, 


The Commandments Binding on Christians . 195 

in so far as they are identical with the teachings 
of the new dispensation. Whatever law is found in 
the Old Testament that is in harmony with the 
mind and instruction of the Master, is obligatory 
upon us. 

Children are exhorted by Paul to “ obey their 
parents in the Lord,” 1 not because it was found 
in the law but because “ this is right.” Again: 
“ Children obey your parents in all things ; for this 
is well pleasing to the Lord.” 2 The motive then 
for action is doing right and pleasing God. One 
question must be asked upon the anticipation of 
any act, and that is, Is it right ? This is similar 
to asking, “ Does it comport with the spirit of our 
Lord, since his spirit was love, and love leads us 
to do what is right ? ” A thing must meet our con¬ 
sciousness of rightness before we feel an inward 
obligation to do it. Any law in the Old Testa¬ 
ment, Koran, Zend Avesta, or any other religious 
book, must succumb to this crucial test, “Is it 
right ? ” under the circumstances. 

As there are commandments in the New Testa¬ 
ment, are we not still under law? The command¬ 
ments in the New Testament are only directions 
given to individuals or churches under spe¬ 
cial circumstances, and not written decrees and 
i Eph. vi. 1. 


2 Col. iii. 20. 


196 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

ordinances to be observed for all time to come, by 
all people under the various conditions of life. 
For instance: “ Salute the brethren with a holy 
kiss ” and “ Sell all that thou hast and distribute 
to the poor ” are not to be taken literally by us. 
In every case the spirit must be looked for and 
that alone imitated by the disciple of Christ. 
Sometimes the commandment and the principle are 
expressed in identical words, then the command is 
binding for all time to come because it is the prin¬ 
ciple itself. “ Love one another,” is not only a 
command, but it is a literal moral principle which 
cannot be changed. Though we have not Christ 
here in body to direct us, yet he sent a substitute in 
the Holy Spirit who was to teach us in all things. 
The new dispensation is essentially spiritual. It 
is purely an age of the Spirit. All needed help, 
guidance, and instruction was promised to be given 
by the Spirit. The followers of Christ are born 
of the Spirit; they are led by the Spirit; they are 
to worship God in the Spirit; they are taught to 
pray by the Spirit; they must serve God in new¬ 
ness of the Spirit; the Spirit called and sent forth 
apostles to preach; they were directed by the 
Spirit as to what to say when brought before rulers 
and councils; the apostles were instructed by the 
Spirit how to set things in order in the churches; 


The Commandments Binding on Christians. 19T 

commandments were given to the apostles by the 
Spirit; only by the Holy Spirit can one say that 
“ Jesus is the Lord ” ; the diversities of gifts were 
by the same Spirit; the manifestation of the Spirit 
was given to every man to profit withal, whether 
in wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, work¬ 
ing of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, and 
divers kinds of tongues. As each one has direct 
access to God, the dispensation is a continual one, 
and the revelations a continual revelation. Where 
there is a continual revelation direct from God, 
written laws are no longer needed for the details 
of daily life. Then we are not to follow written 
commands or decrees if we have the approval of 
the Spirit of God. We have no express direction 
by the Spirit in the New Testament, to observe 
the fourth commandment of the decalogue, but the 
Spirit did direct men to establish the Lord’s Day 
on which special worship was required. 


198 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 


CHAPTER VII. 

THE MORAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LAWS OF 
THE DECALOGUES. 

Many take the position that the law spoken of 
in Paul’s Epistle, when he mentions its abrogation, 
is the ceremonial law and does not refer to the 
decalogue. The decalogue, it is claimed, is the 
moral law; and as the moral law is binding for all 
time to come, therefore the decalogue cannot be 
abolished. Furthermore, it is stated, that the law 
which Paul declares “holy and just and good” 
was nothing else than the ten commandments; 
and as the Sabbath commandment is contained in 
the decalogue, therefore the Sabbath is still in 
force. Such reasoning is fascinating and ingen¬ 
ious, but it will not bear the test of truth. 

It is well, before proceeding further, to get a 
definite conception of what is involved in the word 
“ moral.” It is from the Latin word “ moralis,” 
meaning custom or manner, and evidently refers 
to the customs and the manners of the people in 
their relations one to another. It is defined in 


Moral Significance of the Decalogues. 199 

Worcester’s Dictionary as “ Relating to or accord¬ 
ing to, the received and customary rule of right 
and duty between man and man.” Butler declares 
that “ Moral duties arise out of the nature of the 
case itself, prior to external command; positive 
duties do not arise out of the nature of the case, 
but from external command.” Whately intimates 
that a positive precept concerns a thing that is 
right because it is commanded; a moral precept 
respects a thing commanded because it “ is right.” 
This suggests that moral duties arise, not from 
positive command, but from the inherent nature of 
man ; they come from his common sense and con¬ 
sciousness within. In all countries, and in almost 
all tribes, there are laws against stealing, murder, 
etc. Why is there such a general verdict respecting 
these forms of conduct? The answer is that Man’s 
consciousness immediately perceives the wrong¬ 
ness or harmfulness of such action and he then 
proceeds to make laws against them. Among the 
lowest tribes to-day if murder or any similar of¬ 
fence takes place without any positive command 
to the contrary, the victim’s friends recognize the 
wrong and speedily avenge it. Who told them it 
was wrong without a positive command? They 
felt it within their own consciousness. So moral 
laws have their authority in man’s consciousness 


200 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

of right; and positive laws have their authority in 
the will of the ruling power. The term “ moral ” 
denotes a rule of right action between human be¬ 
ings. If there were only a single individual on 
earth, there would be no morality, but as soon as 
a second individual appears human relations are 
established and morality arises. There are then 
three factors involved in the conception of the 
word “ moral.” They are : 

1. A conception of right conduct. 2. It 
arises from the inherent nature of man or his 
common sense. 3. It deals with human rela¬ 
tions. This brief elucidation is sufficiently lengthy 
for our purpose, and we will test the decalogue by 
this standard. 

It is reasonable to inquire here what decalogue. 
It must not be forgotten that there are nine deca¬ 
logues, 1 differing somewhat from each other; but 
we shall only confine our attention to three deca¬ 
logues, which were written upon tables of stone. 
The Deuteronomist decalogue differs from the 
“E” decalogue contained in the twentieth chap¬ 
ter of Exodus, in giving the reason for the Sab¬ 
batic commandment. The former stated it thus : 
“Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, as the 
Lord thy God commanded thee. Six days shalt 
1 The Higher Criticism of the Hexateuch by Briggs, p. 232. 


Moral Significance of the Decalogues. 201 

thou labor and do all thy work; but the seventh 
day is a Sabbath unto the Lord thy God: in it 
thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, 
nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy 
maidservant, nor thine ox nor thine ass, nor any 
of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy 
gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant 
may rest as well as thou. And remember that 
thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that 
the Lord thy God brought thee out thence 
through a mighty hand and stretched out arm; 
therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to 
keep the Sabbath day.” 1 The “ E ” decalogue reads 
as follows : “ Remember the Sabbath day to keep 
it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy 
work: but the seventh is the Sabbath unto the 
Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, 
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manser¬ 
vant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy 
stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days 
the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all 
that in them is, and rested the seventh day: 
Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and 
hallowed it.” The difference between the above 
commands is the reason given for the Sabbatic 
observance: the one because God delivered them 


1 Dent. y. 14, 15. 


202 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

out of Egyptian bondage; the other, because he 
rested on the Seventh Day. But the wording of 
the “ J ” decalogue is altogether different. The 
commandments given in their abbreviated form 
are: 

1. Thou shalt worship no other God. 

2. Thou shalt make thee no molten Gods. 

3. The feast of unleavened bread thou shalt 
keep. 

4. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt 
redeem. 

5. The seventh day thou shalt rest; in plough¬ 
ing time and harvest time thou shalt rest. 

6. Thou shalt observe the feast of weeks. 

7. Thrice in the year shall all your men chil¬ 
dren appear before the Lord God. 

8. Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice 
with leaven. 

9. The first of the first fruits of the land thou 
shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God. 

10. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother’s 
milk. Then follow these words : “ And the Lord 
said unto Moses, write thou these words: for after 
the tenor of these words I have made a covenant 
with thee and with Israel. And he was there with 
the Lord forty days and forty nights ; neither did 
he eat bread nor drink water, and he wrote upon 


Moral Significance of the Decalogues . 203 

the table the words of the covenant the ten com¬ 
mandments.” 1 This decalogue was written by 
the finger of Moses, while God dictated it, and 
was then put into the ark. The others were 
written by the finger of God on tables of stone, 
which were broken by Moses. Here, then, are 
two decalogues; no two commandments are ex¬ 
actly alike in the wording. This decalogue must 
be regarded as non-moral or ceremonial; however, 
the emphasis is usually placed upon the ten words 
in Exodus, the twentieth chapter. Then special 
virtue or superior rank attributed to the “ Ten 
commandments engraven on stones ” must be sur¬ 
rendered and be taken simply upon their merits, 
as any other group of commandments in the Old 
Testament. 

We will now examine the last-mentioned deca¬ 
logue, and apply our definition of the word 
“ moral ” and ascertain the moral significance of 
these commandments. 

In the first commandment of this decalogue the 
people are instructed to have no other gods. As 
shown above, morality only refers to the relations 
that exist between human beings. The relation 
between God and man is, strictly speaking, not 
moral, but religious, though the results may be 
i Ex. xxxiv. 28. 


204 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

moral or immoral. The history of religions has 
many pages darkened with immorality, vice, and 
crime, conscientiously performed in honor of cer¬ 
tain divinities. The Phoenicians, in their worship 
of Astarte, is the best example of how degrading 
a religion may become in its moral bearings. The 
second commandment is similar to this. Wor¬ 
shipping graven images does not come under the 
head of morals. One can be moral and either 
worship or profane the name of the gods that these 
images represent. It is difficult to imagine in 
what manner the third commandment — not to 
mention the name of God, except the priest once 
a year when he entered the holy of holies—is 
moral. They did not even write the name of 
Yahweh, but substituted the word Jehovah, which 
is a combination of the consonants of Yahweh and 
the vowels of Adonai. Upon this point Sayce 
says : “But there was one word which the Mas-' 
soretes of Tiberius either could not or would not 
pronounce. This was the national name of the 
God of Israel. Though used so freely in the Old 
Testament, it had come to be regarded with super¬ 
stitious reverence, before the time when the Greek 
translation of the Septuagint was made, and in 
this translation, accordingly, the word Kurios , 
‘ Lord,’ is substituted for it whenever it occurs. 


Moral Significance of the Decalogues . 205 

Yahweh was the unpronounceable name.” 1 An¬ 
other important witness adds, “ First, they removed 
the name of God from the common use, avoiding 
entirely the name of Jehovah, and also, as far as 
possible, the general name of God, in common 
speech as well as in oaths, and employing the cir¬ 
cumlocution of such a term as Heaven.” 2 J. Pat- 
erson Smyth, touching upon the extreme reverence 
for, and the reluctance to pronounce the name 
Yah weh (Jehovah) in early Jewish history, states 
44 that it was publicly declared that 4 Whosoever 
uttered the sacred name shall have no part in the 
world to come.’ 3 When they met the word they 
read instead of it, 4 the name,’ 4 God,’ 4 Adonai.’ ” 
Professor Brinton has clearly shown that the 
44 name ” had a separate existence or attribute of 
the person named, and such superstitious reverence 
did they have for it that its use was studiously 
avoided. After giving cases of tribes even among 
American Indians that would not pronounce the 
name of their god, sums up with these words : 
44 The ineffable name is the common property of 
savage and cultured faiths.” 4 The later una- 

1 Fresh Light from Ancient Monuments, p. 62. 

2 Teaching of Jesus, by Wendt, Yol. I. 50. 

8 Old Documents and New Bible, p. 58. 

4 Religion of Primitive Peoples, p. 98. 


206 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

bridged dictionaries support this theory. In the 
Standard Dictionary, under the word Jehovah, the 
following words occur: “ It is the ineffable name 
not pronounced by the Jews, who substitute for it 
Adonai, or when Adonai occurs in connection with 
it, Elohim.” Other modern dictionaries, such as 
the Century Dictionary, have substantially the 
same thought. Schwab, an eminent Jewish au¬ 
thority, referring to this commandment, stated 
that it alludes to the use of his name in oaths in 
the courts of law. 1 But oaths seem to be entirely 
forbidden in the books of Hosea and Zephaniah. 
A beautiful analogy to the Jews in this respect is 
found among the Marutse. The god of this tribe 
and kindred tribes along the Zambesi river, is 
called Njambe; but to avoid revealing this, they 
employ the term, Molemo. 2 Much space has 
been given to this third commandment in this 
connection, in order that no mistake might be 
made regarding its meaning or purpose. Then 
the commandment, not to mention the name of 
God, except the High Priest once a year, cannot 
be said to be moral, but rather religious. 

Then follows the fourth or Sabbatic Command¬ 
ment. Applying the above definition of the word 

1 The Sabbath in History. 

2 Religion of Primitive Peoples, p. 97. 


Moral Significance of the Decalogues. 207 

“ moral ” to this, it must be excluded from the list 
of moral duties. It does not arise from the inner 
nature of man. The physical nature of man de¬ 
mands the night for rest, but nature has not pro¬ 
vided one day in seven. Not only does the nature 
of man call for nightly rest but almost all the ani¬ 
mal creation take that same time for rest. Among 
most all peoples there are laws against murder, 
etc., but the Sabbatic law is not the law of all 
tribes. If the Sabbath law were moral it would 
spring up as spontaneously as that of murder. If 
this law were moral how could Christ say it was 
made for man and not man for the Sabbath, 
or that he was Lord of the Sabbath ? The 
term “ Lord of the Sabbath ” means to have the 
power to change it at His will. It is only the cere¬ 
monial that can be changed at will. If the Sab¬ 
bath was an eternal moral law it could not be 
changed. Think of Christ changing at will the 
law of purity, love or righteousness. Why not? 
Because they are moral principles and abiding. 
Christ said the “ Sabbath was made for man,” but 
moral law is not made for man. Man must square 
himself to the moral law. It is a truth that man 
is made to fit into the moral law but not made to 
fit into the Sabbath law. It is only the temporal 
and ceremonial “ that is made for man.” Fur- 


208 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

thermore, as we have shown, the way the Sabbath 
piimarily arose was through the agency of moon 
worship. Had there been no moon changes, no 
seventh day division would have been thought of 
by the various peoples possessing it. In the sec¬ 
ond place, the Sabbath is a form of worship and 
supposes relations between God and man, and not 
between man and man. The Sabbath law is cer¬ 
tainly religious and ceremonial, for it was a “ sign 
between me [Jehovah] and the children of Israel.” 
Now a sign or symbol has no virtue in itself, any 
more than the bread and wine at the Sacrament of 
the Lord’s Supper, but simply points to something 
else. And if a sign has no virtue in itself then it 
cannot be a moral principle. A moral command 
only has virtue in itself. The Sabbath was a 
memorial of the deliverance of the Israelites out 
of Egypt. The Sabbath is also a commemoration 
of God’s creation rest. A memorial day has no 
virtue in itself, but only points backward to some 
act, event, or person. How could the Sabbath be 
moral when its existence or non-existence depends 
upon some event in the past? According to the 
Deuteronomic author, if there had been no exodus 
of the Israelites there would have been no sacred 
Sabbath, for it commemorated that event. Ac¬ 
cording to the priestly writer, there would not 


Moral Significance of the Decalogues. 209 

have been a seventh-day rest if God had finished 
the creation in four days, but rather a fifth-day’s 
rest. If God had not rested, according to this 
writer, there would have been no Sabbath. The 
Seventh Day Sabbath was a sign that distinguished 
the Jewish people in their peculiar relations to 
Jehovah. This sign was the simple act of rest- 
ing. Now a formal act prescribed by authority is 
a ceremonial law. The Sabbath, being then a 
formal rest prescribed by law, is therefore a cere¬ 
monial ordinance and not a moral principle. 

The next commandment that Christ left out 
was the tenth. It says, “ Thou shalt not covet.” 
To covet is to have a strong desire for anything. 
This is always the needed stimulus in order to 
secure an object. How could one get gold, silver, 
houses, lands, or any kind of an education without 
a strong desire for it, backed up by efforts? As 
already suggested, it depends on what we covet, 
and that determines its rightness or wrongness. 
Paul says, “ Covet earnestly the best gifts.” 
Again he says, “Covet to prophesy.” The re¬ 
maining five commandments answer the definition 
of morality. Here then are five commands that 
are moral and five that are not. So we have a 
pentalogue on the authority of Christ himself. 
One who holds that the Sabbath is moral must 


210 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

also hold the seventh year and the year of Jubilee 
are moral; for they are divine laws of rest in the 
Old Testament purporting to have come from 
God. The Sabbatic year and the year of Jubilee 
have as much of the voice and authority of God 
back of them as the Seventh Day commandment 
has. Why then should we try to perpetuate the 
Seventh Day command, and ignore other Sabbatic 
commands ? 

The Hebrew Scriptures nowhere make any dis¬ 
tinction between moral and ceremonial laws. 
What made them right was because God com¬ 
manded them; even if it finally became harmful. 
In the Jewish judiciary there were no crimes 
but all were sins. These laws covered every 
department of Jewish life — moral, civil, cere¬ 
monial, social, individual; even the building of 
houses, clothing, and the finding of birds’ nests 
had specific laws. The two greatest laws, love 
to God and love to man, are not mentioned any¬ 
where in the decalogue. Of course Christians 
observe the ordinary moral precepts scattered 
throughout the Old Testament writings; but 
they do not observe them because they find them 
in the Old Testament, rather because they are 
right and harmonize with the spirit and teachings 
of Christ. 


Moral Significance of the Decalogues. 211 

It is stubbornly contested by some that the 
moral laws in the Old Testament are eternal, un¬ 
changeable and binding upon all Christians. This 
is not in line with the facts of the case. Are 
moral laws regarding slavery in the Old Testa¬ 
ment binding ? For instance, “ If thou buy a 
Hebrew servant, six years shalt thou serve.” This 
is certainly a moral law but it is not binding. 
“ An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand 
for a hand, a foot for a foot, burning for burning, 
wound for wound, and stripe for stripe,” are all 
laws of revenge, and consequently moral laws. 
Are they binding on Christians? Polygamy is 
sustained by the Old Testament law and is within 
the bounds of morality. Is it binding on our age 
and times ? Divorces are granted by the Jewish 
law because “ She findeth no favor in his eyes.” 
Is this divorce law binding upon Christendom? 
In Deuteronomy one must marry his brother’s 
widow. This is a moral law; do we claim it is 
binding on us ? It is evident some moral laws 
are diametrically opposed to the spirit of Christ, 
while other moral laws in the Old Testament are 
entirely in accord with His teachings. Not be¬ 
cause it is in the Jewish law do we obey them, 
but because it is the will of the Master of the new 
dispensation. 


212 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

So then we emphasize the statement that all in 
the Old Testament which harmonizes with the spirit 
and teachings of the Master, is binding upon Chris¬ 
tians. The spirit of Christ leads us to do that which 
is right, to obey all the laws of right doing. The 
moral laws contained in the decalogue are only a 
small portion of the many moral laws in the 
Hebrew scriptures. In fact the greatest laws are 
not included within the limits of the decalogue. 

Again it is claimed that the Sabbath Command¬ 
ment is moral because it has a moralizing influ¬ 
ence. The same could be said about the year 
of Jubilee. In that year, slaves were made free, 
lands given back to original holders, debts re¬ 
mitted, etc. This could be no other than a bless¬ 
ing to the Israelites. In fact all religious rites 
have a moralizing influence. The Lord’s Supper 
has a moralizing influence, though it is a ceremo¬ 
nial custom. 

In closing this chapter it is no doubt expected 
that a few words would be presented regarding 
the different decalogues, with the explanation of 
such differences. A number of tribes and peoples 
have been found with a decalogue, of great an¬ 
tiquity even before the Jewish race had a national 
existence. This fact is accounted for from the 
prominence of the number ten among most all 


Moral Significance of the Decalogues. 213 

low tribes. The choice of the number ten as shown 
in Chapter II. is due to the ten fingers and also 
the ten toes. As ten was a prominent and lucky 
number, the early tribes grouped the principal of 
their laws into this number. By this method 
they could be easily remembered, simply by put¬ 
ting a law opposite each finger. No doubt the 
Hebrews followed the same practice. They had a 
number of laws given to them by Moses, among 
them were no doubt a decalogue, the exact origi¬ 
nal of which scholars are trying to find. 

The two decalogues in Exodus referred to 
above are no doubt two versions of an earlier 
decalogue, at least that is the best explanation at 
present. One version was by a Southern or “ J ” 
writer who is the author of Ex. xxxiv. Chap., and 
the other version is by the Northern or “ E ” writer 
who was the author of the decalogue in Ex. xx. 
Chap. The earliest law of all tribes was ceremo¬ 
nial. This comports with the earliest decalogue of 
the Hebrews called the Jehovistic decalogue.' This 
early decalogue consisted entirely of ceremonial 
laws. The other decalogue called the Elohistic 
decalogue is a grouping of laws at a later period of 
the national existence of the Jewish people. This 
last mentioned decalogue has at least five moral 
laws which is considerable in advance of the 


214 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

other, indicating a higher type of life. The state¬ 
ment that these decalogues were taken from the 
Canaanites fails of evidence to support it. Israel 
had many laws before they entered the promised 
land, and though they took many laws and insti¬ 
tutions from the Canaanites, yet the evidence is 
lacking that they were adopted in a body from 
them. Renan claims that the second decalogue 
was taken from the Book of the Dead in Egypt. 
It is true that there is a great similarity between 
the decalogue and the negative statements by the 
departed spirit in the hall of Osiris, found in the 
Book of the Dead, but this is far from proof that 
there was direct copying. Such an eminent 
scholar as Professor Toy of Harvard University 
maintains that the Israelites borrowed nothing 
from the Egyptians. 

The sweeping assumption that the ten com¬ 
mandments are all moral and eternally binding 
completely vanishes when measured by the test 
that determines their character. 


The Seventh-Part-of-Time Theory. 215 


CHAPTER VIII. 

THE SEVENTH-PART-OF-TIME THEORY EXPLAINED. 

Much prominence has been given to the sev- 
enth-part-of-time theory. It is claimed, the seventh 
part of time is demanded by the physical consti¬ 
tution and consequently a moral principle. They 
conclude then that the Sabbath is a moral prin¬ 
ciple and binding upon all. This sounds beautiful, 
but is it true? Will it stand the scientific test? 
If so, would that be of any assistance to the 
Sabbatarians or others in their Seventh Day views ? 
If one rests the seventh part of each day then 
he has met the demands of the seventh-part-of- 
time theory. The Israelites observed the Sabbath 
Day not simply as a necessity of the physical 
body but more as a mark of their allegiance to 
their God. They were at first a pastoral peo¬ 
ple, and the caring for their flocks would entail 
no amount of physical weariness, therefore not 
needing any special rest. There is nothing in 
the Sabbath commandment which calls for only 


216 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

a seventh part of time. The truth of the matter 
is, the Israelites rested much more than a sev¬ 
enth part of time. Not only did they rest from 
work the Seventh Day, a seventh year, a fiftieth 
year, but there were special seasons besides. They 
had the feast of unleavened bread, lasting seven 
days, the feast of weeks lasting one day and the 
feast of tabernacles lasting a week. Later in their 
national life they had other feasts, such as the 
feast of Dedication and the feast of Purim. All 
put together would amount to about a quarter of 
the time, given to resting. The modern working¬ 
man, speaking generally, has more time than this 
at his disposal for rest. What are the greatest 
limits of rest for him? He has every Seventh 
Day, seven holidays in the year, Saturday after¬ 
noons in summer, a vacation from two to six 
weeks, and in many instances the boon of an 
eight-hour day. Reckoning ten hours as the nor¬ 
mal working day, there would be 3650 working 
hours in the year, including Sunday. Now deduct¬ 
ing Sundays, a vacation of three weeks, Saturday 
afternoons, and an eight-hour day, we have 1606 
hours of rest, taken from a possible 3650 hours 
of work in the year. Thus a trifle less than one 
half the normal working time is spent in rest. 
This of course is the highest limit of rest to the 


The Seventh-Part-of-Time Theory. 217 

working man, but the average working man rests 
not far from a quarter of the possible working 
time. Under the keen competition of the present, 
a seventh part of time to rest without other time 
is not sufficient. Workingmen generally need 
more than a seventh part of time to rest. Hun¬ 
dreds of business and professional men have 
wrecked themselves by over-work, though they 
rested on the Lord’s Day. Christ rested on the 
Sabbath, but it was not enough ; for he said to 
his apostles : “ Come ye yourselves apart into a 
desert place and rest awhile.” 1 In fact, resting 
only a seventh part of time would be a backward 
step in progress. The Lord’s Day is not a rest 
day simply, but a worship day, and we are to rest 
physically as much as the body needs. We should 
rest enough every day to meet the demands of the 
body. According to this seventh-part-of-time 
theory, the man who is idle for months at a time, 
does not need the seventh day rest. But that is 
not our view. The idle man needs a worship day, 
and that is what the Lord’s Day is for. Many 
workingmen, taking a forty mile run on their 
bicycle on Sunday, have to rest on Monday to 
offset the fatigue,of their so called rest on Sunday. 
The physical rest is determined by how hard one 
1 Mark vi. 31. 


218 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

works, conditions of the body, physical consti¬ 
tution, and kinds of work. Engineers on some 
fast trains are compelled to rest after three hours’ 
work each day. Scarcely two can be found that 
need the same amount of rest. One must gauge 
his rest by what he needs. 

A further argument used to sustain the proposi¬ 
tion that: “ The seventh part of time is moral,” 
is that nature requires the seventh part of time to 
rest. The bee, and all insect life, do not observe 
this injunction. The bird ignores this law and 
the beasts of the forest pay no heed to this pre¬ 
cept. Night is the only rest period speaking gen¬ 
erally that nature gives them. All animate 
creation is then practically at rest. Winter is 
also a rest period to some forms of life. If man 
needs only one day in seven to rest, he stands 
alone in the animal world in this respect. If it is 
rest simply that he needs, why not rest a little 
more each day; a seventh part of each day, for 
instance, which would amount to the same thing ? 
At most, wage earners work only ten hours out of 
twenty-four. Those who labor eight hours, work 
only a third of the day and have two thirds of the 
day generally speaking for rest and sleep. To 
work eight hours, sleep eight hours, and rest eight 
hours, with public holidays, a summer vacation and 


The Seventh-Part-of-Time Theory . 219 

a Seventh Day for spiritual purposes, answers best 
the needs of humanity under present conditions. 
There is not the slightest evidence to uphold the 
statement that the seventh part of time, simply, is 
a hygienic necessity. Man needs rest no doubt, 
but to say every seventh day suffices, is not proved. 
It is a moral and spiritual necessity. A policeman, 
a watchman, and those whose work calls for little 
expenditure of energy, do not need one day in 
seven for simply physical rest, but they do need it 
for the benefit of their spiritual nature. Those 
without work for six days do not stand in need of 
rest on the Seventh Day, but it is highly impera¬ 
tive that they rest that day, for the improvement of 
their higher nature. Most of our Church workers 
rest less on that day than on any other, however 
they have met the purposes of the day by em¬ 
ploying the time in divine worship. 

There is nothing to sustain the seventh-part- 
of-time theory. The fact is that this law was 
specially given after the Exile for the purpose of 
training the children of Israel to be loyal to 
Yahweh instead of other gods and not merely to 
secure animal rest. It was not instituted in the 
Christian Church for bodily rest, for all the early 
Church did not refrain from work themselves on 
that day. They gradually came to rest on the 


220 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

Lord’s Day so that they would have more time for 
worship. Were it not for this element of wor¬ 
ship and the cultivation of the better part of our 
nature, a day of idleness merely might be pro¬ 
ductive of more evil than good. 

Putting the question briefly we have the fol¬ 
lowing points: (1) We must rest every day as 
much as the body needs. (2) A seventh rest-day 
may or may not be sufficient for the demands of 
the body after a period of overwork. (3) No 
general rule can be given as to the amount of rest 
each should take. That is determined by the 
nature of the man, his physical condition, the kind 
of work he is engaged at, the condition under 
which the work is performed. (4) The Lord’s 
Day is to be used specially for worship, no matter 
whether we have worked or rested the days pre¬ 
ceding. 


Nature of the Lord ’« Day. 


221 


CHAPTER IX. 

NATURE OF THE LORD’S DAY. 

The day on which our Lord was crucified was 
the black Friday of the world’s history. This 
great prophet, who could control the winds and 
the waves, was the promised Messiah, the leader 
of the coming revolution. His disciples expected 
that he would immediately establish his kingdom 
here below, but their hopes were blasted by his 
arrest and crucifixion. All the high anticipations 
of the new kingdom were swept away; and the 
little group of simple and admiring followers, were 
filled with fear and hid from public view. The 
movement, which had such a promising outlook, 
seemed now to be crushed for all time to come. 
Nothing seemed to them more dark and discoura¬ 
ging. Christ had intimated to them of his resurrec¬ 
tion but it was unintelligible to them. At no 
period of their life had the clouds of gloom and 
despair so completely enveloped them as at this 
trying time. Not the least ray of hope shone upon 


222 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

their benighted minds. But this was all changed 
on the resurrection morn. The startling news 
that, “ he is risen ” created a hope and joy that no 
language could adequately describe. He who was 
dead was still alive and had triumphed over sin 
and death. Man was now shown to be immortal. 
The future life, heaven, and eternal companionship 
with Jesus were now established without the least 
shadow of a doubt. A glorious beyond was fully 
assured in the hearts of his faithful followers. 
The hopes for the success of the new kingdom met 
with an unprecedented uplift, and the outlook was 
never brighter. Their delight knew no bounds. 
The joy-day of earth’s history had dawned. The 
independence day of Christianity had come, and a 
new dispensation born. It would be impossible to 
forget the recurring joy-day. It was impressed 
too deeply upon their minds to forget it. It meant 
too much to them, it took too great a hold upon 
them, to treat it with an ordinary degree of interest. 
Every first day of the week reminded the disci¬ 
ples of their heavenly experience. Their hearts 
bounded with delight at the sacred memories that 
clustered round the Christ Day. They met every 
first day of the week to continue the joyful memo¬ 
ries of the day and commune with their Master. 
The day centered in Christ. It was simply a day to 


Nature of the Lord's Bay . 223 

commemorate the resurrection of Christ. There 
was nothing in it of the nature of a rest day or a 
Sabbath. It could not be called at first anything 
more than a memorial day of the crowning event 
of Christianity. Jews and Gentiles met together 
that day as best they could, not by compulsion or 
of commandment, but from the natural impulse of 
their hearts. Just as one celebrates his joyful 
wedding day, so did these unpretentious Jews 
celebrate the event that brought so much joy to 
them. The main feature of this meeting was the 
breaking of bread in memory of their Master. It 
soon developed into a distinctly worship day, with¬ 
out the idea of rest from ordinary labor. Probably 
after the destruction of Jerusalem, it took on the 
character of a decidedly worship day. Before the 
middle of the next century, we have the authentic 
record of the order of service given by Justin 
Martyr. Before the close of the apostolic age, 
judging from the language of Trajan, there was a 
morning and evening service; but as the evening 
service was under suspicion by the Roman govern¬ 
ment, it was omitted. It was a day eminently 
calculated for worship. Its joyful memories could 
not but produce feelings of praise and worship. 
The day was so joyful that kneeling was entirely 
prohibited. It was thought that by that attitude, 


224 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

it would indicate the position of a beggar, so 
standing was the only position thought proper for 
prayer, on the Lord’s Day. One of the canons of 
the Council of Nice decreed, “ That praying by 
kneeling should be interdicted on the day of the 
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, because it 
indicates fear and sorrow on a day in which the 
whole Church exults and rejoices.” 

Worship was the prime thought and prime pur¬ 
pose of the day. The rest element was a subordi¬ 
nate idea and had no part in instituting the day. 
Rest was not to be felt a necessity in the first stages 
of the Christian Church. The rest idea came in 
gradually, and it was five centuries before there 
was a law forbidding all kinds of ordinary work. 
They rested at first not because the Church 
thought it was holy day and wrong to work, but 
it was to give more time and opportunity to wor¬ 
ship the true and living God. Tertullian gives 
the first hint of resting on the Lord’s Day. Re¬ 
ferring to the obligation to rest on Sunday, he 
says, in substance, that it was not due to any Old 
Testament command or to apostolic tradition but 
to the need of having the outward conditions fa¬ 
vorable to that state of mind which is appropriate 
to the day. Sunday by virtue of the event it 
memorialized ought to be to Christians a day of 


Nature of the Lord's Bay. 225 

joy, peace and tranquillity of soul, and to avoid 
needless distraction, worldly business ought there¬ 
fore to be suspended. A passage in the Apostolic 
Constitution offers the same reason for making 
Sunday a day of rest. The Council of Ephesus 
recommended that Christians should honor the 
Lord’s Day, and when possible refrain from the 
work of the same instead of resting on the Jewish 
Sabbath. This commandment is not to honor the 
Seventh Day but rather the Lord’s Day. It 
seems in some localities the Jews who were con¬ 
verted to Christianity could not at once break 
away from their old customs and rites so con¬ 
tinued to keep sacred the Jewish Sabbath Day. 
Finally the Council of Orleans a.d. 538 pro¬ 
hibited all kinds of labor. There was no legal 
prohibition of any kind of labor on the Lord’s Day 
during the first three centuries of the Christian 
era. Resting on the Lord’s Day was an evolu¬ 
tion. The Lord’s Day itself is an evolution. At 
first it started with a little meeting of Christ and 
his disciples without the idea of a rest day or a 
holy day. Communion and worship was their 
only thought. The Lord’s Day is now and always 
has been a meeting day with Christ. 

Now a worship day is not instituted for the 
sake of itself, but for some object reaching out 


226 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

beyond the mere form. That purpose consists in 
moulding us in the likeness of the Master. When 
the Lord’s Day was first instituted Christ was the 
central and controlling thought. They met him 
on the day he rose from the dead, their discourses 
were upon his words and his deeds, they commem¬ 
orated him by partaking of the Lord’s Supper. 
Thus all the exercises of the day pointed to him 
in some way, so it was truly a Christ Day. But 
what was the practical effect of this day? It was 
conformity to the mind of the Master. True wor¬ 
ship will spiritualize one’s faculties, stimulate the 
higher powers with nobler desires, holier impulses, 
purer motives, and assimilate our nature with that 
of our Creator. In other words, to bring our ac¬ 
tions and character in harmony with the Spirit of 
God. “ To be in the spirit on the Lord ’s Day ” 
constitutes the true observance of the day. Works 
of mercy and necessity may be permitted, if they 
minister in a larger degree to the well being 
of all concerned. The works referred to are wor¬ 
ship in its truest sense, and if this kind of worship 
fulfils the spirit of the Master more than ordinary 
Sunday worship we are justified in doing it on 
special occasions. 

The Lord’s Day was in no case considered a 
fast day. None were allowed to fast on the resur- 


Nature of the Lord's Bay . 227 

rection day of Christ. A sect called the Mon tar 
nists, who lived in the second century, were 
remarkable for their strict laws on fasting, but 
they excepted the first day of the week out of their 
austerities. The first who was executed for heresy 
by the secular power was Prisculianus, who was 
charged with fasting on the Lord’s Day. The 
Council of Nicea decreed that anybody who fasted 
on the Lord’s Day, whether by mispersuasion or 
superstition, should be anathematized. Fasting 
in no way fits into the joy-day of Christ. 

The Lord’s Day is not a day of big dinners and 
grand feasts. These are certainly objectionable, 
as it unfits the mind for the adoration of the Lord 
of earth and skies. All things are to be put aside 
that would interfere with the best conditions for 
the worship of the Supreme Being. 

The Lord’s Day is not a holiday in the sense of 
a public rest for the purpose of recreation, amuse¬ 
ment, and merrymaking. Amusements and merry¬ 
making are not compatible with the cultivation of 
the religious spirit. The temptation is strong 
these modern days in the direction of pleasure, 
and efforts must be put forth to prevent the 
Lord’s Day from being used for that purpose. 

Neither is the Lord’s Day a holy day in the 
sense of a specified day belonging absolutely to 


228 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

God. The Sabbath was a holy day but the 
Lord’s Day is not. Now all time belongs to God 
and the true Christian consecrates every day to 
the service of the Master. It may be sacred in 
the sense of a special day devoted to the worship 
of God, but it is not to be regarded as belonging 
specially to God nor an idol to be worshipped. 
Worship should be continued every day, but in 
the case of the Lord’s Day the whole day is given 
to that kind of employment. The civil laws for¬ 
bid work on Sunday not because it is holy, but 
because it interferes with the conditions of true 
worship. As labor day is a day devoted to the 
interest of labor; thanksgiving to the offering of 
thanks, so the Lord’s Day is a day specially 
devoted to the worship of God. 

The Lord’s Day is not in a true sense a Sab¬ 
bath. The word Sabbath is a Hebrew term 
meaning “ rest.” The rest idea was the one char¬ 
acteristic feature of the Jewish Sabbath. The 
principle of rest was the only factor entering into 
the ancient Jewish Sabbath. If we call the 
Lord’s Day a Sabbath then we are giving it a 
term which the early Church did not and would 
not recognize. If the term Sabbath is applied to 
Sunday, a new meaning must be put into the word 
which the Jews did not admit. If the word 


Nature of the Lord's Day. 229 

Sabbath must be given to Sunday then its mean¬ 
ing must be changed to include all that is implied 
in the content of the Lord’s Day. 

Worship did not primarily enter into the Scrip¬ 
tural Sabbath. Of course in the latter days of 
the Jews as a people, worship was held in the 
synagogue on the Sabbath, but this was a second¬ 
ary thought, the primary idea being absolute rest. 
Loyalty to God was shown by rest from ordinary 
labor. We may rest or work on the Lord’s Day 
and still it may be a Lord’s Day so long as we 
worship truly, however we do rest from our ordi¬ 
nary labors so that we can worship more satis¬ 
factorily and completely. The Lord’s Day is not 
a rest day essentially. The early Church did not 
rest entirely from all their work for a long period 
of time. Many labor more on Sunday than any 
other day. Clergymen, Sunday School teachers, 
and many housekeepers, toil harder on the so 
called rest-day than on week days, neither do they 
consider it inconsistent with the proprieties of the 
day. The average Christian worker who attends 
Sunday morning service, Sunday School, Young 
People’s meetings and an evening service feels the 
need of a rest at the close of the day as much as 
on other days of the week. Such an one has not 
kept the Old Testament Commandment, “ Thou 


230 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

shalt do no manner of work.” Many have to 
rest on Monday to offset the work on Sunday. 
Monday is really the Sabbath Day (Rest day) of 
the Clergyman and other Christian workers. So 
Sunday is not essentially a rest day, but essen¬ 
tially a worship day, and the rest came in as a 
secondary idea. There is but little similarity be¬ 
tween the Lord’s Day and the Jewish Sabbath as 
first given to the chosen people. Ours is the 
seventh day of the Anglo Saxon week, theirs at 
first the seventh day of the Babylonian lunar 
week; ours commences at midnight, theirs com¬ 
mences at sundown; ours is a spiritual day, theirs 
is a ceremonial day ; ours is observed by being in 
the spirit, theirs by resting; ours a day of liberty, 
theirs a legal day with a dead line drawn around 
it; in ours work may be done that is necessary for 
all, in theirs no manner of work must be done; in 
ours travelling may be allowed, in theirs none are to 
go out of their places; ours is prophetic of heaven ; 
theirs prophetic of the rest in Christ or the Gospel 
rest; ours a commemoration of the resurrection, 
theirs a commemoration of the great deliverance 
out of Egypt. The purpose of ours is to bring us 
into the likeness of Christ, or perfect manhood, 
theirs loyalty to God, rather than other gods; 
ours sprang intuitively from the heart, theirs 


Nature of the Lord's Day. 231 

from an external command; ours to terminate with 
the kingdom of heaven, theirs terminated with the 
death of Christ. 

The day is designed for man’s higher nature 
and at this peculiar age it specially fits into his 
many needs. Man needs the time to avail himself 
of the moral and spiritual instruction, generally, 
given on that day. He needs the day for home 
culture without which the home is only a house 
where the husband stays over night. The Ameri¬ 
can home is disintegrating due to our industrial 
economy. More time is needed in the home to 
weld together, cultivate and develop the ties of 
home life. He needs the time to attend divine 
service for the purpose of getting light, strength 
and spiritual help. He needs the time to meet 
with his friends and neighbors, establish friendly 
relations and cultivate social feelings. He needs 
the time for self examination and personal com¬ 
munion with the Lord of all. He needs the day 
to remind him of Christ’s great work and the 
manifold blessing which we are enjoying derived 
from that great work. He needs the time for the 
cultivation of the higher faculties of his being. 
He needs the time to relax the strain of six days 
of hard labor. He needs the day to divide time 
into periods which breaks the monotony of con- 


232 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

tinuous plodding. Continuous toiling without a 
rest>day or a change is a great disheartening bur¬ 
den on the mind and heart and soul of enlightened 
men. 

It must be remembered that the Lord’s Day is 
not all of Christianity. Sometimes its significance 
has been overdrawn and sometimes justice has not 
been shown. We should keep the Lord’s Day in 
its proper place without over-estimating or under¬ 
estimating it, and have it meet the end primarily 
designed. The rest idea may become a curse or a 
blessing. If we devote the day to spiritual pur¬ 
poses the day has been kept as originally intended; 
and if we merely rest without the exercise of the 
spiritual faculties then the day has not been kept. 
If the day is used for the purpose intended, it 
will be a spiritual and moral help ; but if there is 
a dearth of moral fife back of it, the day will 
simply furnish an opportunity for harmful indul¬ 
gences. A day of idleness to a class of people low 
in morals, who do not see the higher significance 
of the day, cannot be looked upon as an unmixed 
blessing, but our minds would be rather turned to 
the old truism, “ Idle hands are Satan’s willing 
instruments.” Possibly if there were no other in 
the country than this class, working all the time 
would be less productive of evil than a seventh 


233 


Nature of the Lord's Day . 

idle day. Israel in the time of Christ kept the 
Sabbath with marvellous strictness, eclipsing any¬ 
thing known in the history of religion with the 
possible exception of the Babylonians; neverthe¬ 
less they crucified Jesus of Nazareth who de¬ 
nounced them in these scathing words: “Woe 
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for 
ye are like unto whited sepulchres which without 
appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead 
men’s bones and of all uncleanness.” 1 “Ye ser¬ 
pents, ye offspring of vipers, how can ye escape 
the damnation of hell ? ” 2 Surely from this, one 
can be a good Sabbath keeper and morally rotten 
at the same time. The day is not properly kept, 
if we are not in the spirit. The Lord’s Day, if 
used as intended, will minister to moral and spirit¬ 
ual edification. It is simply a help but not the 
essential factor. It is an opportunity to cultivate 
the religious sentiments, and stimulate the spiritual 
nature. The Lord’s Day is a day of planting, 
nurturing, and maturing the true Christian Reli¬ 
gion in the soul. It is a day to enter the holy of 
holies and meet with God alone. It is a day to 
put on wings and rise above the material into the 
glorious sunlight of God’s presence. It is a day 
to clear away the rust of the week by the cleans- 
1 Matt, xxiii. 27. 2 Ibid., 33. 


234 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

ing power of the water of life. It is a day for the 
meeting of heaven and earth in one’s own soul. 
It is a day for ascending the mountain-top to get 
a glimpse of the promised land. It is a day 
prophetic of the time when all days shall be Lord’s 
Days and the new heaven and the new earth be¬ 
come a blessed reality. 


The Authority of the Lord's Lay . 235 


CHAPTER X. 

THE AUTHORITY OF THE LORD’S DAY. 

After what has been said in the preceding 
chapters, we are ready for the anticipated question: 
What is the authority for the Lord’s Day? As 
the fourth commandment has been annulled, and 
no commandment appears in the New Testament 
for Sunday observance, What have we as an 
authority for the keeping of the Christians’ Holy 
Day? What can we appeal to as a reason for our 
action, and ground for our religious belief and 
practice, regarding Sunday? Have we anything 
to justify us in keeping sacred the Lord’s Day? 
In reply it might be asked: What authority have 
we for the Salvation Army, Methodists, Baptists, 
and all the other denominations ? Have these 
religious bodies a right to be? If so, why? 
There is nothing said in the Scriptures about their 
necessity. There is no commandment in the Bible 
authorizing one hundred and fifty different divis¬ 
ions in the fold of Christ. What authority have 


236 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

we for Sunday Schools ? What authority is there 
for the Y. M. C. A. and the W. C. T. U. ? There 
are no written decrees in the law of the Lord for 
such special organizations. What authority can 
we show for such a beneficent institution as the 
Public School? The Sacred Scriptures nowhere 
command it. What authority have we for a Re¬ 
public? There is no text for it in the Divine 
Record. Republics are ignored, and only kings 
and kingdoms appear on its pages. What author¬ 
ity have we for the New Testament Canon? 
Neither Moses nor the prophets and not even 
Christ uttered a word that could be construed as 
a basis upon which to found the books of the 
New Testament. 

We are too much inclined to rely upon some 
written commandment, some literature, as authority 
for our religious acts and institutions. Does God 
lead and guide us, and, if so, why ignore Him and 
trust to written precepts ? The fact is often for¬ 
gotten that we are no longer under the law, but 
under grace. In practical life, a commandment 
for every detail of Christian living could scarcely 
be thought of. We are not under a dispensation 
of laws and commandments. Ours is a spiritual 
dispensation. The Spirit “ will guide you into all 
truth,” 1 and “ He shall teach you all things.” 2 

1 John xvi. 13. 2 Ibid., 26. 


The Authority of the Lord's Day. 237 

It is the Spirit , or in other words , the will of G-od, 
that is authoritative. When the will of God is dis¬ 
covered it needs no greater warrant, no matter 
whether it is uttered by an inspired prophet or by 
the humblest peasant. But it may be said the 
expression, “the will of God” is indefinite and 
abstract. How may we know what is the will of 
God? Something definite, specific is wanted. 
By what standard or test shall we determine the 
will of God? No word of popular use and com¬ 
prehension better expresses the will of God than 
the word truth. Truth, then, is the great criterion 
by which we shall test all things, whether or not 
they represent the will of God. Anything that 
harmonizes or fits with facts, conditions, or reality, 
is truth. Truth is of God, and therefore authori¬ 
tative. 

It is pertinent now to inquire, What is the 
authority of the Lord’s Day, What are its creden¬ 
tials ? and then apply the test to ascertain its rela¬ 
tion to the will of God. First, the Lord’s Day 
claims to have the sanction of the Apostles of 
Christ. From evidences from the New Testament, 
Barnabas, Pliny, Ignatius, the Teaching of the 
Twelve Apostles, Justin Martyr, etc., convince us 
beyond a doubt that the disciples met the first 
day of the week and broke bread as a memorial of 


238 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

the Master, and engaged in more or less of other 
exercises of worship. 

The second credential that the Lord’s Day has 
to offer is that of the authority of Church Councils. 
The Council of Gangra, Council of Elvira, Council 
of Nicea, Council of Antioch, Council of Sardica, 
Council of Laodicea, Council of Toledo, Council 
of Carthage, and the Council of Orleans, legis¬ 
lated on different aspects of the Lord’s Day, thus 
making it the legal expression of the Church for 
the first five centuries. The first five centuries 
are chosen because it took that time to de¬ 
velop completely the Lord’s Day in its various 
features. 

The third form of authority is that of experi¬ 
ence. By looking back over the past, the Lord’s 
Day has been found to be a great boon to humanity. 
It has brought untold blessings to all peoples since 
its origin. All classes in various ages and in 
various countries, under different conditions, are 
agreed on the beneficent features of this institution 
of Christianity. 

In the fourth place the Lord’s Day has the 
sanction of reason. Reason tells us that the 
Lord’s Day fits into the needs and nature of soci¬ 
ety. Reason claims that the physical system of 
man needs rest to counterbalance the excessive 


The Authority of the Lord's Day . 239 

fatigue and strain put upon it during six days of 
work. Reason also demands a day of religious 
and moral exercise to maintain even the morals of 
the community. Reason claims that the best day 
to call out feelings of gratitude and love to the 
Supreme Being, is the day upon which Christ ac¬ 
complished his redemptive work and gained the 
victory over sin and death. 

We have then (1) Apostolic Authority, (2) 
Authority of Church Councils, (3) Authority of 
Experience, (4) and the Authority of Reason. It 
remains for us now to apply the test of truth 
and ascertain if these are the will of God. 

Concerning Apostolic Authority, all Christians 
are agreed that the teachings and practices of the 
apostles were in harmony with the truth. For 
three years they had been associated with him 
who was the “ truth.” The whole of Christendom 
recognize the sacred import of the New Testament 
canon, and the one feature that decided this 
choice, was that these books were written or dic¬ 
tated by one of the apostles who had seen and 
heard Christ. Apostolical authority then has the 
force of truth, and consequently expresses the will 
of God. 

In touching upon the Authority of Church 
Councils, while they were in their simplicity and 


240 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

purity, their decisions must be held as valid and 
true. It was well into the fifth century before the 
books of the New Testament were finally decided 
upon. The Christian Church to-day regards them 
as divinely led in the selection of this canon. 
From this evidence it must be inferred that their 
decrees represent the truth. If true, then it is the 
will of God. 

Thirdly, the sanction of experience is a revela¬ 
tion of truth. Whatever is the greatest good to 
the greatest number fits into the needs of the social 
condition of people, and as such is truth, for truth 
is that which harmonizes with fact, condition or 
reality. This is probably the great test that all in¬ 
stitutions have to submit to. Is the organization 
called the W. C. T. U. in harmony with the will 
of God ? Has the organization adjusted itself 
into the social state and conferred a benefit on 
society ? if so it has a right to be, and is in ac¬ 
cord with the will of God. What authority has 
the Public School? Is it a useful institution? 
Does it meet the needs of the country ? If so it 
is truth and therefore expressive of the will of 
God. Is our Republic divine ? Is it best fitted 
to our condition of national existence? Is the 
greatest good reaped by the greatest number by 
this peculiar form of political arrangement ? It 


The Authority of the Lord's Lay. 241 

certainly does. If so, then it is truth and conse¬ 
quently divine. 

Lastly, the sanction of Reason comports with 
truth and the mind of God. Mathematic truth 
comes through the reason. The facts of astron¬ 
omy are discovered by the reason. Geologic 
evidences are grasped by the reason. Self- 
evident propositions are apprehended by the rea¬ 
son. It is through the exercise of reason that the 
nature, reality, truth or falsity of a thing is dis¬ 
covered. The authority of reason then has the 
force of truth. 

Now we have shown that the Lord’s Day is 
supported by the Authority of the Apostles, Author¬ 
ity of Church Councils, Authority of Experience, 
and the Authority of Reason. We have also 
shown that these four kinds of authority express 
the truth and is consequently the will of God, 
therefore the Lord’s Day is in harmony with the 
will of God. 

The Lord’s Day was instituted by the Apostles, 
fixed upon by Church Councils, is confirmed by 
the experiences of the past and is upheld by the 
dictates of reason. The decrees uttered by a di¬ 
vine lawgiver could not be more imperative. 
Commandments written in stone could not make 
it more binding. The thunder and fire upon 


242 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

Sinai could not add one iota to its divine au¬ 
thority. 

Some lament the absence of literal command¬ 
ments for the people regarding the Lord’s Day. 
The mission of Christianity is not to promulgate 
laws, but to put principle, life and power into the 
body politic. It is the prerogative of the state to 
make formal laws, enforcing them by its own 
strong arm. Those who must have written laws 
to appeal to, will find them in the decrees of 
Church Councils. In thoroughly enlightened 
Christian nations and states, the public statutes 
bearing on this subject may be taken as a literal 
guide, as it represents the consciousness of the 
Christian people. A formal law on our statute 
books, if it is right, is as much the will of God as 
a statute in a religious law book, because both 
are for the best good of the people ; and when it 
ceases to be of service to the people, it is no longer 
binding. However, let it not be forgotten that 
the authority for Christians is not in formal decrees 
but in the will of the Holy Spirit. It may be 
reasonably asked: Of what use then have we of 
the fourth commandment? No use as a Jewish 
commandment, but if we take it out of the Jewish 
law book, modify it so that it may apply to the 
Lord’s Day, then let it stand as a statement 


The Authority of the Lord's Day. 243 

expressing the will of God concerning the Lord’s 
Day, it might be within the limits of consistency. 

The Spirit leads and guides in all things and 
gives directions as occasion requires. Sometimes 
these commands will be contrary to the written 
ordinances of the Old Testament and individual 
directions in the New Testament. A command¬ 
ment is the application of a principle to a certain 
age and people under certain conditions of life. 
Now when the condition changes, the command¬ 
ment will have to change, even though it may be 
in the Bible. Christ teaches in the Sermon on the 
Mount “ Not to swear at all, but let your Yea be yea 
and Nay be nay.” But to-day we take oaths in the 
courts of law without any compunction of con¬ 
science. In this case the Holy Spirit is working 
through the reason and judgment, and teaches us 
to conform to the courts, seeing that it is for the 
best interests of society. Christ’s command was 
fitting for that people and age, but the conditions 
have changed, so the Spirit leads us to adopt a 
different method. Slavery was not denounced in 
the Bible but the Spirit now leads us to denounce 
it. Indeed, Paul sent a runaway slave back to 
his master Philemon; and in one of his letters he 
says: “ Slaves obey your masters,” but now we 
repudiate these injunctions. By what authority 


244 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

did we do away with slavery ? By the authority 
of the Holy Ghost through the mind of man. By 
the same authority was the institution of the 
Lord’s Day established in the early Church and 
by the same authority has the day been continued 
till the present time. 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day . 245 


CHAPTER XI. 

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE LORD’S DAY. 

The basis of the Lord’s Day is found in the 
historic fact of the resurrection of Christ from the 
dead. The Apostles did not have in mind a 
specially sacred day when they primarily met 
together on the first day of the week, but only 
a delightful commemoration of the crowning event 
in the life of their Lord and Master. They 
regarded it simply as a weekly celebration of the 
great emancipation day of the religious world. 
The essential thing in the celebration was the 
breaking of bread in memory of Christ, being a 
compliance with the text “ This do in remem¬ 
brance of me.” This fact is first noted in the 
Acts of the Apostles in the words, “ And on the 
first day of the week when we were gathered 
together to break bread,” 1 indicating that their 
only purpose in coming together was to break 
bread. It was observed in the same spirit and in 


1 Acts xx. 7. 


246 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

the same way for a short time after the ascension 
of Christ. The Master had instructed his dis¬ 
ciples that salvation was obtained by believing on 
him without the use of forms and ceremonies. 
But those who were born and bred Jews could 
not break away at once from their old customs 
and habits. When the Gentiles entered the 
Church, they ignored the Jewish Sabbath, as well 
as the law, and gradually gave attention and 
respect to the resurrection day. Naturally there 
sprang up two factions, the “Jewish” faction 
, and the “ Gentile ” faction. The Jewish element 
maintained that converts whether Jews or Gentiles 
• must be circumcised and keep the law. We are 
told by the author of the Acts of the Apostles 
that the Jews which believed were zealous of the 
law and kept the customs of the Fathers. “ Thou 
seest, brother, how many thousands there are 
among the Jews of them which believe and they 
are all zealous for the law,” 1 is a text that is 
conclusive on this point. They thought that 
Christianity was something added to Judaism. 
The other faction held that Christianity had taken 
the place of Judaism and that all was new, both 
wine and bottles. Peter and Paul seem, at least 
for a time, to be the representatives of these two 


1 Acts xxi. 20. 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day. 247 

factions, for Paul himself says, “I had been 
entrusted with the gospel of the uncircumcision 
even as Peter with the gospel of circumcision.” 1 
In other words Peter was an Apostle to the Jews 
and Paul was an Apostle to the Gentiles. Peter 
did not even think that Gentiles were admitted to 
the Gospel feast until his vision at Joppa. The 
controversy was long and stubborn. However an 
official decision was not far off. 

Three years after Paul’s conversion he went up 
to Jerusalem and met with Peter. 2 They in all 
probability had some understanding regarding the 
lines of teaching that each should follow. After 
spending about fourteen years preaching in the 
provinces of Syria and Cilicia, he again went up 
to Jerusalem accompanied by Barnabas and Titus. 
Paul conferred with Peter, James and John who 
were the pillars of the Church, regarding what 
condition to impose upon believing Gentiles. He 
says, “ I laid before them the Gospel which I 
preach among the Gentiles, but privately before 
them who were of repute, lest by any means I 
should be running or had run, in vain.” 3 When 
the pillars — Peter, James and John — perceived 
the graces given unto Paul and the noble work 
he was doing, they gave him the right hand of 
i Gal. ii. 7. 2 Ibid., i. 18. « Ibid., ii. 2. 


248 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

fellowship, adding this admonition, “ That we 
should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the 
circumcision; only they would that we should 
remember the poor.” 1 Here no provision of the 
Mosaic law is required only “ remembering the 
poor.” Christ and the ordinary virtues were all 
that were required of the Gentiles. 

The controversy did not abate, but rather in¬ 
creased. However, time had not long elapsed 
before a crisis was reached in Antioch. Certain 
ones came down from Jerusalem saying: “ Except 
ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye 
cannot be saved.” 2 Paul and Barnabas had a 
great dispute with these emissaries from the holy 
city, so they determined to go up to Jerusalem 
to have the matter settled. This was the occa¬ 
sion of the great Council of Jerusalem, the first 
Council of the Christian Church, and the most 
important in its history. After the matter was 
thoroughly considered a decision was rendered. 
The provisions of this decision required of the 
Gentiles only the following: “ That ye abstain 
from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, 
and from things strangled, and from fornica¬ 
tion.” 3 Paul won the day. The Gentiles were 
not compelled to observe the Mosaic law with the 
1 Gal. ii. 9, 10. 2 Acts xv. 1. » Ibid., xv. 29. 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day . 249 

exception of the four things mentioned above. 
They had gained their freedom and independence 
from the galling yoke of Judaism. This was the 
independence day for a Gentile Christianity. 
No one could demand of them anything that was 
specifically Mosaic except the four things pro¬ 
vided by the Council. Not a word is said about 
the circumcision, sacrifices, washings, incense, the 
Sabbath, holy days, holy weeks, holy months, holy 
years, and the Jubilee. 

The Gentiles did not observe the Sabbath be¬ 
fore, neither was its keeping demanded here. As 
the Sabbath day was a special Jewish day, it was 
entirely ignored. If the Sabbath of the Jewish 
law was binding upon the Gentiles they would 
most certainly have mentioned it with the other | 
requirements. They could observe the Sabbath 
if they wished to, as there was perfect liberty in 
religious views, but only the four things men¬ 
tioned were binding upon the Gentiles. It was 
quite evident that some of the Jewish converts 
still kept the Sabbath and also met with the 
Gentile members of the Church on the resur¬ 
rection day, but the Gentile Christians completely 
ignored the Jewish Sabbath. Discussions on this • 
were prevalent in Paul’s day, but he answers 
them in this manner: “ One man esteemeth one 


250 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

day above another; another esteemeth every day 
i alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own 
mind.” 1 This might be called the informal period 
of the Church as far as a holy day is concerned. 
Neither day is binding, though some kept both 
days. The Gentiles in the Church regarded all 
days holy and alike, and their meeting on the first 
day of the week was not because the day was more 
holy than other days, but because on that day 
Christ rose from the dead. Paul met with the 
Jews frequently on the Sabbath because it af- 
'i forded him an opportunity to teach them and win 
them for Christ. 

This state of affairs continued till after the 
destruction of Jerusalem, when every vestige of 
Judaism seemed to be swept away. After this 
great event the Judaistic element waned, and pure 
Christianity with its Lord’s Day triumphed. We 
have some hints after this that a few still observed 
both days. The Ebionites ceased not to hallow 
both the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day. The Apos¬ 
tolical Constitutions refer to the same practice. 
The Council of Ephesus declared against the Sab¬ 
bath, so finally the struggle was ended. 

We have no evidence that they rested entirely 
from their ordinary work on the Lord’s Day be- 
1 Rom. xiv. 5. 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day . 251 

fore the end of the fifth century. They seemed 
to meet together either in the early morning or in 
the evening, rehearse their experiences, call to 
mind the sayings and doings of Christ, and then 
partook of the Lord’s Supper. Though they did 
not rest at first on the Lord’s Day, they did ob¬ 
serve the essential thing, and that is, the worship 
element. But as the great event grew more 
remote, the day grew more precious until about 
five centuries afterwards, when it became a fully 
developed Lord’s Day. 

In the middle of the second century we find 
from the writing of Justin Martyr that they had 
a regular order of service. As indicated in Chap¬ 
ter VIII. the order is as follows: 1, Reading 
memories of the apostles and prophets ; 2, Prayer; 
3, Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper; 4, Exhorta¬ 
tion by the President; 5, Collection for the Poor. 
Though long established by the Church yet it did 
not receive civil sanction until the year A.D. 321. 
This boon to the struggling Church was, as noted 
previously, granted by Constantine in the follow¬ 
ing words: “ On the venerable day of the sun let 
the magistrates and people residing in the cities 
rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the 
country, however, persons engaged in the work of 
cultivation may freely and lawfully continue their 


252 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

pursuits; because it often happens that another 
day is not so suitable for grain-growing or for 
vine-planting; lest by neglecting the proper mo¬ 
ment for such operations the bounties of heaven 
should be lost.” 1 This law is nothing more than 
a state recognition of the Christian’s worship day. 
It evidently represents the sentiments of the 
Church, and to continue agricultural labors was 
in line with the consensus of the Church itself. 

Two later laws on this subject are said to have 
been made by this same Emperor. One law re¬ 
quired the Christian section of his army to rest 
on the Lord’s Day from military exercises and to 
repair with all diligence to divine worship; and 
the other called upon his pagan soldiery to lay 
aside their arms on that day and repair to the 
fields, where they were to offer up a prayer com¬ 
posed by himself to the Supreme King of all. 2 
The way had been prepared for civil decrees by 
the decisions of the Church, through its councils, 
bearing upon the established institution of the 
Lord’s Day. Though these councils were in no 
case general before this time, but rather provincial, 
yet it showed the sentiment in the Church. The 
council above referred to, was Elvira in a.d. 205 
or 306, which declared “ That all who absented 
1 Sunday by Hessey, p. 58. 2 rbid. ? p. 82. 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day . 253 

themselves three Lord’s Days should be sus¬ 
pended ; ” 1 also the Council of Gangra which met 
not far from this time and condemned those who 
made the Lord’s Day a day of fasting. “ If any 
one from pretended asceticism fasts on Sunday let 
him be anathema.” 2 

Four years after the action of Constantine, the 
Ecumenical Council of Nicea, among other things 
took action on the Christian’s worship day and is 
the subject of a canon. It states “ As some kneel 
on the Lord’s Day and on the days of Pentecost, 
the holy synod has decided that for the observance 
of a general rule all shall offer their prayers to 
God standing.” 3 This does not take into con¬ 
sideration even the authority of the rest day of 
the Christian. Why should they? The day 
with its origin and purpose was not questioned. 
It was too near the origin of the institution. No 
one doubted that the day originated with Christ 
and his apostles and continued in an unbroken 
succession till that very time. It would be ludi¬ 
crous for a convention in America, to decree as 
something doubted or unknown, that the fourth of 
July was the day in which America proclaimed 
its independence. It might be appropriate twenty 
centuries hence, but at present it is too near the 
1 Sunday, p. 81. 2 Ibid.,p. 67. 3 Ibid., p. 81. 


254 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

original independence day. The identical con¬ 
dition of affairs existed at the time of this general 
council concerning the relation of the Lord’s Day 
to the resurrection of Christ. 

It did not legislate upon the worship of the day, 
for the custom of three centuries had stamped it¬ 
self upon their minds, and now it needed no other 
sanction than this long-time usage. The council 
did not refer to the fourth commandment as the 
ground of the Lord’s Day observance. This was 
never thought of because they were in no way 
under the law, but looked only to Christ as an 
authority in all things. 

There was nothing important regarding the 
grounds, nature, time, and form of worship, to 
call up the question in any other ecumenical 
council, yet provincial synods located in various 
districts, passed upon many matters pertaining to 
the resurrection day, arising out of conditions 
particularly in their own diocese. 

The Council of Antioch, meeting in a.d. 340, 
comes next in order and condemns those who 
came to hear the Scripture read, but do not join 
in the prayer or the eucharist. The Council of 
Sardica a.d. 34T endorsed the action of the Coun¬ 
cil of Elvira. 

From a canon of the Council of Laodicea, dating 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day. 255 

about a.d. 365, it is inferred that some rested on 
the First Day and some on the Sabbath of the 
Jews. This body of divines decreed that “ Chris¬ 
tians ought not to Judaize and rest on the Sabbath 
Day, but preferring the Lord’s Day in honor, and 
on it if possible to rest as Christians. But if they 
are found to Judaize, let them be anathmea from 
Christ.” 1 According to the above, Christians 
were to be condemned for resting on the Sabbath, 
and specifically directed to honor the day of the 
Christians. After the time of the Apostolic 
Fathers, when two days were observed in any 
community, the Church took action to have all 
hold the resurrection of our Lord only, and drop 
all Judaic requirements. Constantine qualified 
his edict of prohibition soon after its promulga¬ 
tion so as to allow acts conferring liberty and 
legal rights, in the way of giving freedom to 
slaves, or setting a son free from paternal power. 
This law was followed by that of Yalentinian and 
Yalens in a.d. 368 which protected Christians 
from legal processes for debt. Both these laws 
were repeated a.d. 386, with the additional pro¬ 
hibition of trials before arbitrators. 2 It seems now 
that Christianity had become the religion of the 
state. 

1 Sunday, p. 82. 2 Ibid., p 84. 


256 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

Theodosius the Great, in A.D. 379 confirmed all 
this and made not only the “ Day of the Sun,” but 
one hundred and twenty-four other special days 
legal holidays during the year. He also abolished 
spectacles in which the heathen had found their 
consolation when the day had been set apart for 
other than secular uses by Constantine. 

The Council of Toledo in a.d. 400 repeated the 
action of the Council of Antioch. The fourth 
Council of Carthage in a.d. 436 enacted that if 
any one left the Church during preaching, he was 
to be excommunicated. It also discountenanced 
attendance on games and the public service on the 
Lord’s Day. 

The law of the younger Theodosius in a.d. 
425, forbade any performance at the circus or 
theatre on the Lord’s Day and other important 
Christian festivals. He ordered that the Emper¬ 
or’s birthday be held in less honor than the holy 
day. Leo and Athemius speak in still stronger 
language, stating that if the Emperor’s birthday 
fell on the Lord’s Day the celebration was to 
be put off and required the day to be kept 
sacred not only from business but from the 
obscene pleasures of the stage and circus. Their 
laws contain the following statement about the 
Lord’s Day. “ The Lord’s Day we decree to 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day . 257 

be ever so honored and revered, that it should be 
exempt from all compulsory process; let no sum¬ 
mons urge any man; let no one be required 
to give security for the payment of a fund held 
by him in trust; let the serjeants of the courts 
be silent; let the pleader cease his labors; let that 
day be a stranger to trials; be the crier’s voice 
unheard; let the litigants have breathing time 
and an interval of truce ; let the rival disputants 
have an opportunity of meeting without fear; of 
comparing the arrangements made in their names 
and arranging the terms of a compromise. If any 
officer of the courts under the pretence of public 
or private business, dares to despise these enact¬ 
ments let his patrimony be forfeited.” 1 Now we 
come to the notable Third Council of Orleans, 
A.D. 538, which decreed among other things the 
following canon: “It is a Jewish superstition that 
it is unlawful to ride or drive on Sunday, or do 
anything for the decoration of house or person. 
But field labors are forbidden, so that people may 
come to Church and worship.” 2 Constantine 
legislated against work in town but permitted 
agricultural labors. This Council forbids even 
agricultural labors, thus practically prohibiting 

1 Sunday, p. 84. 

2 History of the Councils of the Church by Hefele, Canon 28. 


I 


258 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

all kinds of labor. The Council of Orleans is an 
important one to the Church historian, as it is the 
first Council that prohibits all kinds of ordinary- 
labor. We have now for the first time the fully 
developed Lord’s Day hedged about with many 
restrictions similar in kind to the American 
Sunday. 

The second Synod of Macon in the year a.d. 
585, directed, “ That no one should on the Lord’s 
Day yoke his cattle under the plea of necessity, 
but that all should exercise themselves in hymns 
and praise to God, being intent thereon both in 
body and in mind. If any man has a Church on 
hand he is to go to it. It is the everlasting day 
of rest foreshadowed by the seventh day in the law 
and prophets.” 1 The preamble to this canon 
gives some idea of the prevailing condition of 
affairs. It says: “It is observed that Christian 
people do very rashly slight and neglect the Lord’s 
Day, giving themselves as on other days to con¬ 
tinual labors.” 

This point of Sunday history appears to divide 
the past from the future. All the past based the 
keeping of the Lord’s Day on apostolic practice, 
and in no way associated the Sabbath of the Jews 
with the resurrection day of Christianity. From 
1 Sunday by Hessey, p. 87. 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day. 259 

this point onward there was a decided tendency 
towards the legal Jewish Sabbath. 

For the next thousand years rulers and councils 
issued edicts and decrees, most of which were of 
the same strain as those already enacted, with the 
exception of its bearing in the direction of Sab¬ 
batarianism. It would be wearisome to detail 
the various enactments of the different countries 
touching the Sunday question, but we shall record 
here a few prominent cases which will serve to 
indicate the line of thought and legislation. 

The Eastern and Western Churches followed 
up the Councils of Orleans in example, and made 
civil laws forbidding, in Puritanic fashion, all 
kinds of labors. 

In the Eastern Church the edict of Leo Philo- 
sophus in a.d. 884, annulled part of the edict of 
Constantine and “ Granted absolute rest as com¬ 
manded by the Holy Spirit and the Apostles by 
Him ” 

In the Western Church, Clothaire, King of 
France, issued an edict in which he did away 
with the servile labors on the Lord’s Day. The 
Sunday laws made in the reign of Charlemagne 
were stricter and attended with severer penalties. 

England kept pace with other countries in 
hedging the Lord’s Day with Puritanic restric- 


260 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

tions. The Council of Clovishoff in A.D. 747 for¬ 
bade travelling on Sunday. Edgar the Peaceable 
issued a law in A.D. 958 in which he declared the 
Lord’s Day to commence at “Three o’clock on 
Saturday afternoon and last till dawn on Mon¬ 
day.” In the twelfth century St. Bernard of 
Clairvaux claims authority for the Lord’s Day in 
the fourth commandment. This is the first clear 
statement that the obligation of the Lord's Bay 
rested upon the fourth commandment. Here are 
over eleven centuries of the Christian era that have 
passed away without a clear mention, by teachers 
or writers, of the holy day of the Christians being 
founded on a Judaic ordinance. Close upon the 
statement of St. Bernard comes that of Petros 
Alphonsus in which he first uses the term “ Chris¬ 
tian Sabbath" as connected with the Lord's 
Bay. 'The fourth commandment in the above is 
not taken in a strict sense, but vaguely represents 
all the holy days enjoined by the Church. 

A very significant statement comes from 
Thomas Aquinas which shows the prevailing 
thought of the times regarding the authority of 
the Lord’s Day. He says that the institution of 
the Lord’s Day, with other festivals, are not di¬ 
vine laws, but are human laws in the form of 
canons; also he maintained that all Christian 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day . 261 

festivals corresponded to those of the law, the 
Sabbath being changed to the Lord’s Day. This 
view is supported and perfected in the direction 
of the Rabbinical Sabbath by the teachings of 
Tostatus, Bishop of Avila. He wrote a commen¬ 
tary on the twentieth chapter of Exodus, in which 
he laid down rules to the minutest circumstances 
of life. Here are some of his restrictions : “ Meat 
may be dressed upon the Lord’s Day or the other 
holy days, but to wash dishes on those days is un¬ 
lawful; that must be deferred to another day;” 
also, “ A man that travels on holy days to any 
special shrine or saint, commits sin if he returns 
home on these days.” It is quite evident that the 
Lord’s Day did not stand above other days in the 
eyes of the Church. The Synod of Lyons which 
met in a.d. 1244, gives us a list of these holy days. 
They are the following: Christ’s Nativity, St. 
Stephen, St. John, The Innocents, St. Sylvester, 
Circumcision, Epiphany, Easter, with the week 
before and the week after three Rogation days, 
Whitsundays, and two days after, St. John Bap¬ 
tist, Feast of the Twelve Apostles, all of the Feasts 
of our Lady, St. Lawrence, all the Lord’s Days of 
the year, St. Michael, All Saints, St. Martin’s, 
Wakes of particular Churches, and local Saints. 1 

1 Quarterly Review, Jan. ’97, p. 52. 


262 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

On all these days work was forbidden. The 
Church was so burdened with holy days and festi¬ 
vals that no days were kept with a reasonable de¬ 
gree of respect. Furthermore the authority for 
these days was based, for the last few centuries, 
on the decisions of the Church. They felt the 
obligation of these holy days because the Church 
said so, and if it did not declare upon any par¬ 
ticular day, they felt exempt from any obligation. 
This is the ecclesiastical view of the Sabbath. 
There is nothing in this view that would touch 
the conscience of the followers of Christ; so in 
order to give emphasis to special holy days they 
were paralleled with the festivals of the Old 
Testament. This made them more binding on the 
conscience of the people. The transition from 
this to basing the Lord’s Day on the authority of 
the Old Testament commandments, was quite 
natural. It was only a short time after the Lord’s 
Day was paralleled with the Jewish Sabbath, that 
it was identified with the reshda} 7 of the Hebrews. 
The principal thing that hastened this view, was 
the attitude the reformers took towards the Church 
of Rome. They denied the authority of the pope 
in religious matters, and as Sunday was based 
upon the decrees of the Church, they therefore 
had to seek its authority elsewhere. It was found 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day. 263 

in that which took the place of the Pope, viz., 
“ The Holy Bible.” Under these circumstances 
the fourth commandment was quickly seized as 
a Scripture warrant for the observance of the 
Lord’s Day. Had it not been for this condition 
of affairs it is doubtful that this view would 
have gained wide-spread currency in the Christian 
Church. 

The demoralized condition of the Church, and 
the fact that there were so many holy days and 
none of which were kept properly, called for many 
minute restrictions round Sunday which resulted 
in producing the Sabbatarian view. This state of 
affairs was instrumental in originating the Petro- 
brussians, Waldenses, and Lollards, who dis¬ 
carded holy days entirely. But it produced more 
than these sects, it brought on the Reformation 
which we will now briefly consider. 

The Reformers did not all share the same 
opinions regarding the authority of the Lord’s 
Day. Two leading views of the Lord’s Day 
divided the Reformers at this stage of their work; 
those in Germany and Switzerland regarded it in 
a certain sense a Church day depending on the 
Church for its authority. Those, particularly the 
Puritans, in England and Holland made promi¬ 
nent the Lord’s Day over other holy days and 


264 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

based it on the commandment of the decalogue. 
These two are still prevalent in the countries 
named, and no doubt has much to do with the 
different way the Christian’s worship day is now 
observed. 

It would no doubt be interesting to the reader 
to have the views of Martin Luther presented. 
He says : “ If anywhere the day is made holy for 
the mere day’s sake, if anywhere anyone sets up 
its observance on a Jewish foundation, then I 
order you to work on it, to dance on it, to feast 
on it, to do anything that shall remove this en¬ 
croachment on Christian liberty.” 1 The above 
represents an individual opinion, but the Augs¬ 
burg Confession a.d. 1530 expresses the view of 
the Protestants at least in Germany. It declares: 
“ Those who judge that in the place of the Sab¬ 
bath, the Lord’s Day was instituted as a day to 
be necessarily observed are greatly mistaken. The 
Scriptures abrogated the Sabbath and teaches that 
all Mosaic ceremonies may be omitted now that 
the Gospel is revealed. And yet forasmuch as it 
was needful to appoint a certain day that the 
people might know when they ought to assemble 
together, it appears that the Church destined the 
Lord’s Day for that purpose. This day seems to 
1 Sunday, p. 166. 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day . 265 

have rather pleased them, in order that men might 
have thereby a proof of Christian liberty, and to 
know that the observance of the Sabbath or of 
the other day was not a matter of necessity.” 1 
The Swiss Reformers held substantially the 
same opinion, which was given in the Second 
Helvetic Confession. The following are the words 
of the Confession: “ Hence we see that in the 
Churches of old from the times of the apostles 
not merely were certain days of the week ap¬ 
pointed for religious assemblies, but the Lord’s 
Day itself was consecrated to that purpose and to 
holy rest. The practice of our Churches retains 
it for worship’s sake and for charity’s sake. But 
we do not thereby give countenance to Judaic 
observances and to superstition. We do not be¬ 
lieve, either that one day is more sacred than 
another, and that mere rest in itself is pleasing to 
God. We keep the Lord’s Day, not the Sabbath, 
by an unconstrained observance.” 2 

The English Reformers differed somewhat from 
their continental brethren regarding the claims to 
keep sacred the Lord’s Day. While there was 
much controversy, and many various opinions 
held, by individuals, yet the general drift was in 
the direction of Mosaic ordinances as the basis of 

2 Ibid., p. 172. 


1 Sunday, p. 168. 


266 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

the Lord’s Day observance. About the middle of 
the sixteenth century the ten commandments were 
incorporated into the English Church formulary. 
After this the Church in its eighty-second canon 
decreed “ That the ten commandments be set up 
on the east end of every Church and Chapel, 
where the people may best see and read the 
same.” 1 In this case the fourth commandment 
in a mystical sense represented the whole list of 
holy days. In fact we are told that the term 
Sabbath never obtained a place in the formulary 
of the English Church. 2 Cranmer described Sun¬ 
day as resting its authority on the Church and 
magistrates, and he drew no distinction between 
it and any other Church holy day. The begin¬ 
ning of Queen Elizabeth’s reign was marked by a 
law ordering all clergymen to teach their parish¬ 
ioners “ That they may with a safe and quiet 
conscience, after the common prayer in the time 
of harvest, labor upon the holy and festival days 
over that thing that God has sent; and if from 
any scrupulosity or qualms of conscience men 
should superstitiously abstain from working upon 
those days that then they should grievously 
offend and displease God.” 3 

1 Sunday, p. 157. 2 Quarterly Review, Jan. ’97, p. 66. 

8 Democracy and Liberty by Lecky, p. 101. 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day . 267 

But the Puritan element was growing rapidly, 
and a great change set in before the close of the 
reign. In a homily on “ The time and place of 
prayer,” contained in the second volume of Homi¬ 
lies, ordered by convocation in 1563, it grounds 
Sunday on the fourth commandment. This is 
what is referred to: “ Albeit this commandment 
of God doth not bind Christian people so straitly 
as to abstain and keep the utter ceremonies of the 
Sabbath Day as it was given unto the Jews. . . . 
Yet, notwithstanding, whatsoever is found in the 
commandments appertaining to the law of nature, 
ought to be restrained and kept of all Christian 
people. Sunday in the Homily is described as the 
Christian Sabbath day, and rests for its authority 
on the Mosaic decalogue though limited to the 
law of nature. The unlimited authority of the 
fourth commandment was not far off. After 
the earthquake in 1580 the churches read an 
admonition which contains the following : “ The 
Sabbath days and holy days ... are spent full 
heathenishly in taverning, tippling, gaming, play¬ 
ing, and beholding of bear-baiting and stage plays, to 
the utter dishonor of God, impeachment of all god¬ 
liness, and unnecessary consuming of men’s sub¬ 
stance. The want of ordinary discipline and 
catechising hath either sent great numbers both 


268 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

old and young back to papacy or let them run 
loose unto godless atheism.” 1 This lawlessness 
intensified the current in the direction of Sab¬ 
batarianism. A work by Dr. Nicolas Bownd 
entitled, “ The True Sabbath and the New Testa¬ 
ment,” appeared in a.d. 1595, and produced a 
wonderful effect in moulding English thought. 
It is stated that this is the first assertion in Eng¬ 
land of the Puritan doctrine of the Sabbath. 2 In 
this book he claimed that the Lord’s Day rested 
for its authority on the fourth commandment. 
The book presented the case in a winning way, 
and made a deep impression upon all thoughtful 
minds. The claim is put forth that this book is 
the origin, life, and backing of the Puritans in 
their views upon the Sabbath. It certainly gave 
a mighty impulse to the Puritan Sunday. Though 
this idea was known before, it was not till Nicolas 
Bownd’s book that it took hold upon the people. 
This is due to the subject being presented in such 
a clear, definite and convincing manner. The 
Puritans seem to have taken kindly to this book, 
and in a comparatively brief period of time estab¬ 
lished public opinion on this particular view of 
the Sabbath. Lecky states : “ Before the death 

1 Sunday, p. 157. 

2 Quarterly Review, Jan., 1897, p. 56. 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day. 269 

of James the First the Jewish Sabbath appears 
to have been accepted by the whole body of Eng¬ 
lish Puritans,” 1 and furthermore says, that this 
doctrine was supreme in the time of the Common¬ 
wealth. Even in the reign of Charles I. “ car¬ 
riers, waggoners and packmen were forbidden to 
travel on Sunday.” Bound’s ideas spread to Hol¬ 
land, and affected the minds of the leaders there. 
The Synod of Dort evidently revealed the prevail¬ 
ing thought. The extra sessions of this synod 
approved these six items: — 

1. In the fourth commandment of the law of 
God, there is something ceremonial and something 
moral. 

2. The resting upon the seventh day after 
creation, and the strict observance of it, which 
was particularly imposed upon the Jewish people, 
was the ceremonial part of the law. 

3. But the moral part is, that a certain day be 
fixed and appropriated to the service of God, and 
as much rest as is necessary to that service and 
the holy meditation upon him. 

4. The Jewish Sabbath being abolished, Chris¬ 
tians are obliged solemnly to keep holy the Lord’s 
Day. 

5. This day has ever been observed by the 

1 Democracy and Liberty, Yol. ii., p. 104. 


270 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

ancient Catholic Church from the time of the 
Apostles. 

6. This day ought to be appropriated to re¬ 
ligion in such a manner as that we should abstain 
from all servile works at that time excepting those 
of charity and necessity; as likewise from all 
such diversions as are contrary to religion.” 1 

The controversy continued for over one hun¬ 
dred years, but the Sabbatarian view still grew, 
and finally was the prevailing doctrine in England 
and part of the Continent, at least among some of 
the Protestants. The Roman Catholic Church 
still maintained that the holy days are church 
days, and have never applied the term Sabbath to 
Sunday, yet in their catechism, prepared by the 
Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, this is found : 
“ What are we commanded by the third command¬ 
ment ? Answer. By the third commandment we 
are commanded to keep holy the Lord’s Day and 
the holy days of obligation, on which we are to 
give our time to the service and worship of God.” 
Here the obligation of the Lord’s Day rests on the 
third (fourth) commandment. 

Not far from the Reformation period, a revival 
along this line appeared. On account of the 
loose religious life at that time, and the special 
1 Sunday, p. 175. 


Historical Development of the Lord's Day. 271 

emphasis put upon the fourth commandment, 
some went so far as to maintain that the Seventh 
day or Saturday was the true Sabbath. This be¬ 
came the practice of a sect called the Waldenses. 
Some sects such as the Abyssinians kept the Sab¬ 
bath day long before this, but they seem to have 
observed Sunday also. 

The first Seventh Day Church originated in 
England about 1670 a.d., in the east of London, 
called the Mill-Yard Church. In America, about 
this time, the same views were promulgated by 
Stephen Mumford, who came from London in 
1664, and a church was organized in Newport, 
R.I., in 1671. A second Seventh Day Baptist 
Church was formed in 1707 under the leadership 
of Edward Dunham of Piscataway, N.J. A 
marked revival of this doctrine of the Saturday 
Sabbath under the name of Seventh Day Advent¬ 
ists took place in 1844, commencing in New 
Hampshire by the teachings of Mrs. Rachel D. 
Preston. Though this sect and those like them in 
doctrine are very zealous and devoted, yet their 
following is small. The teachings of the Puritans 
of England regarding the Sabbatarian Sunday were 
brought to and spread in America by them. Now, 
generally speaking, the view that the Lord’s Day 
rests upon the decalogue for its authority, has 


272 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

sway in America to-day. Some scholars have 
pointed out the error of this Sabbatarian view of 
basing the Lord’s Day on the fourth command¬ 
ment ; but this new idea is so far of slow growth. 
An encouraging sign is the great number who, 
being dissatisfied with the popular views on the 
Lord’s Day, are seriously studying the matter, and 
we are confident that the truth will prevail. 


The Test of Sunday Propriety . 273 


CHAPTER XII. 

THE TEST OF SUNDAY PROPRIETY. 

Having put the Sabbath and Sunday on a 
scientific basis, we have come to a final question, 
important to every conscientious citizen. How 
may we observe the Lord’s Day with propriety 
and be able to give an adequate reason for its 
observance ? What is Sunday desecration ? Why 
should some things be prohibited and other things 
he permitted on the Lord’s Day? 

The question is of serious interest at this par¬ 
ticular time of our nationa llife. Before setting up 
a touchstone by which to judge of the rightness 
or the wrongness of forms of conduct on the 
sacred day of the Christian, we deem it fitting to 
make a few preliminary observations. 

Some declare that things of convenience ought 
not to be done on Sunday. The ocean steamer 
never stops on its journey, but it plows onward to 
its destination. This is a convenience to the 
passengers, but nobody pronounces it wrong. 


274 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

When the fire brigade is called out to extin¬ 
guish a fire no one charges them with Sunday 
\ desecration. The milk-cart has free right of way 
on the Lord’s Day. The electrician holds himself 
ready to answer calls for repairs or accidents, and 
hesitates not to keep the machinery going night 
and day, including the day of divine service. The 
operators of the gas plant are loyal to their post 
throughout the hours of Sunday. Street cars in 
all American cities are considered a necessity and 
comparatively little fault is found. When the 
pressure of business is great, legislative assemblies 
sometimes meet on that day, and public opinion 
regards it as within the bounds of propriety. The 
janitor in churches does not obey the injunction, 
“To do no manner of work” on Sunday, neither 
does any upbraid him for doing so. The house¬ 
keeper has to work harder on the Lord’s Day, 
oftentimes, than any other. In many American 
cities, museums and art galleries are open the 
first day of the week, also musical concerts for the 
public are furnished by the authorities, all with 
the consent of the best people who are capable of 
judging. These cases indicate how difficult it is 
to settle on a basis that will clearly determine 
what is proper and what is improper on the 
Lord’s Day. Some of these things are an absolute 


The Test of Sunday Propriety. 275 

necessity and some are simply a convenience. 
However our criterion, though it may not in all 
cases decide the propriety or impropriety of an act 
on the given day, yet it will decide for us all 
those acts of an important character. 

It is not because it is a holy day or God’s Day 
or because there is a fourth commandment, that 
we keep the first day of the week, but because 
it is a worship day; this is the one thought that 
shall be used in determining the propriety of 
Sunday conduct. If any action prevents people 
from worshipping, or unfits the mental conditions 
for worship, or disturbs that quiet and peace 
necessary for spiritual worship, it must be judged 
as wrong by our standard. The things mentioned 
in the first part of this chapter which we call con¬ 
veniences are not wrong by our standard, because 
it does not interfere in an appreciable way with 
divine meditation and worship. Public shows, 
and spectacles that have a tendency to draw the 
public attention from the place of worship or 
divine things, are not to be allowed on Sunday. 
All enterprises undertaken for the revenue that is 
in them, are not to be permitted unless they meet 
a felt need by the higher interests of the com¬ 
munity. Pastimes that have a dissipating ten¬ 
dency cannot be regarded as a legitimate exercise 


276 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

on that day. Then the proper conditions of the 
day are 1, Rest from labor; 2, Quiet and Peace ; 
3, Freedom from disturbing public elements; 4, 
Freedom from dissipating tendencies. There are 
other so-called tests which we shall now exam¬ 
ine. One of these is “ Any and all uses that 
contribute to the best welfare and the greatest 
happiness of the race.” This is too broad and too 
indefinite. The same could be said of Monday, 
Tuesday, etc. Something more distinctive and 
specific is needed in deciding the right and wrong 
uses of the Lord’s Day. It is also stated that 
“ If anything lowers the tone of society it should 
not he allowed on Sunday.” There is no dis¬ 
tinctive feature here for that would hold good on 
any other day of the week. The only legitimate 
standard is this: anything that interferes with 
divine worship or the favorable conditions of divine 
worship is a violation of the proprieties of the day. 
This does not necessarily exclude special acts of 
mercy, charity or necessity, for these embody the 
spirit of Christ and conserve the best welfare of 
all concerned, which is really the purpose of 
worship. 


The Application of the Test. 


277 


CHAPTER XIII. 

THE APPLICATION OF THE TEST. 

Having determined upon a standard by which 
all specific acts or things shall be judged we now 
will apply the test to a number of things con¬ 
sidered wrong by well meaning people. 

The Sunday Newspaper 

The first of the so-called objectionable things 
that we shall consider is the Sunday Newspaper. 
Before applying the test, it is necessary to con¬ 
sider the essential features, the facts, and the 
objections concerning the Sunday paper, thus 
putting ourselves in a better condition to make 
an intelligent application of the standard of 
judgment. We must first inquire if it meets 
a felt want in the community. A part of the 
community claims to feel the loss, at least they 
feel the break in the news, but this loss is not a 
serious objection. It may be answered that they 
ought to attend Church. But if they do not go 


278 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

to Church no law can compel them to attend 
against their will. We have to accept the situa¬ 
tion as we find it. The Church must not forget 
that if the people referred to, do not worship, the 
next best thing to be done is to use all legitimate 
agencies that have a tendency to elevate or help 
them. 

What are the real features of the Sunday 
paper? It does not differ materially from the 
daily issue. The only noticeably different fea¬ 
tures seem to be the increased space devoted to 
advertisements, stories, fashions, pictures, and gen¬ 
eral gossip. Sermons and religious editorials 
figure now more prominently than ever before. 
Symposiums on interesting and timely topics are 
another feature now coming into vogue. The 
great objection offered by a majority of the people 
opposed to the Sunday newspaper is that it con¬ 
tains too much matter of a trashy character. 
There is some reason for this accusation, but 
upon close inspection it will be noticed that 
matter of the same sort is found in nearly all 
the leading dailies published on other days of the 
week. The Sunday paper is similar in its matter 
to other issues, though it differs in the amount 
of some kinds of matter. If it is true that there 
is more of the light and trifling kind in the Sun- 


The Application of the Test. 279 

day issue, it is equally true that there is a great 
deal of good substantial reading in most of the 
more influential dailies. It will be difficult to 
get an ideal paper. A newspaper is the mirror of 
the people. If it claims to give the news to 
the people, it must give bad as well as good. 
Some like one kind and some another kind; and 
the patronage of all is not overlooked by the 
business manager. A newspaper is made up to 
suit all classes. No one has as yet made an ideal 
paper succeed. Papers are first started for the 
revenue that may be obtained from them, and that 
policy is adopted which will bring the most 
revenue without overstepping the bounds of 
propriety. 

Another objection to the Sunday newspaper is 
that it compels so many people to work on the 
Lord’s Day. This point is well taken, though 
under present circumstances it is not the Sunday 
paper that calls for Sunday work, but the Monday 
paper. However if the Sunday paper were dis¬ 
continued there would be but little work on 
Sunday; at any rate each workman would have a 
day of rest in every week. Under the present 
system, thousands of newsboys are obliged to 
work on the Lord’s Day. Not only newsboys but 
reporter's, compositors, proof-readers, operatives, 


280 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

trainmen, express agents, news agents, and others, 
must labor, and are without a rest day during the 
year, with possibly the exception of two or three 
weeks as a midsummer vacation. 

A third objection is that it keeps many away 
from Church. There is truth also in this objec¬ 
tion, but it must not be supposed that all who 
read the Sunday paper would, if none were pub¬ 
lished, go to Church. On the other hand, in 
Canada where no Sunday paper is issued on the 
Lord’s Day, the Church attendance is far in 
advance of that in this country. This is not all 
to be attributed however to the absence of the 
Sunday paper, but it certainly counts much in 
effecting such desirable conditions. Probably five 
per cent of Church attendance would cover all 
who are kept away from Church by reading the 
Sunday newspaper. Yet in some places it is much 
larger, for reports have been received of Churches 
in some towns being obliged to change the time of 
service, on account of the arrival of the Sunday 
paper at the same hour. 

Christians generally do not feel the need of the 
Sunday paper, and generally do not take it. 
They use the day for religious purposes. Reli¬ 
gious papers and magazines that minister to their 
higher nature, sermons and books of a helpful 


The Application of the Test. 281 

character, constitute the reading matter of the 
true follower of Christ. Only that is sought 
which will aid in touching and quickening the 
spiritual nature. A very delicate question arises 
at this juncture of our discussion and that is: 
Has one a right to dictate to another what he 
shall read ? All have rights that must be respected. 
The only pretext for interference is the general 
effect that the Sunday paper has upon the com¬ 
munity. While one demands liberty, yet his lib¬ 
erty must not encroach upon the liberties of others. 
If it interferes in any way with the object of the 
day or unfits the mind for the proper discharge of 
the duties of the day, then there is occasion for 
objection. 

One more consideration must be borne in mind 
and that is : Would the non-Church goer be worse 
off if he had no Sunday paper to take up his time 
on Sunday? Would the reading of the paper be 
as unwholesome as being idle all day? What 
would be the effect if there were no papers read 
on Sunday? No tangible evidence can be secured 
which would show conclusively that the people 
would be in a worse condition. The Canadian 
cities, where there are no papers issued on Sun¬ 
day, present a finer record than the American 
cities with their Sunday paper. No newspapers 


282 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

are published in Holland on the rest day of the 
Christian. Edinburgh, London, and all English 
cities do not allow the publication of the Sunday 
Daily. Two in London tried it and gave it up. 
It is singular that the places mentioned above 
rank among the highest in law, order, and intelli¬ 
gence. If such cities as Toronto and Edinburgh, 
which hold such a high place in culture and edu¬ 
cation, can make such a fine showing without the 
Sunday issue, it is reasonable to suppose that 
other cities would not suffer by a similar arrange¬ 
ment, but rather be benefited. 

Another great objection to the Sunday paper is 
that it is not proper Sunday reading. By that is 
meant reading that will build one up in morality 
and spirituality. The religious weekly paper con¬ 
tains the reading that is in accord with the pur¬ 
poses of the day, and is at present the only paper 
adapted to Sunday reading. There is now no 
paper published on Sunday that is designed to 
answer the mission of the Lord’s Day or to elevate 
the standard of society, or is, in any way, in line 
with the work and teachings of those who are en¬ 
gaged in religious endeavor on that particular day. 
The paper, if allowed, should only supplement the 
work of all the various organizations that labor for 
the upbuilding of society on Sunday. If the 


The Application of the Test 283 

religious weeklies could only issue their papers on 
Saturday it would help matters somewhat. 

While discussing Sunday legislation, it is wise 
to keep in mind its probable enforcement. If a 
law were enacted to do away with the publication 
of the Sunday newspapers what effect would it 
have in our large cities ? Considering the number 
of influential people who patronize them, and the 
division of sentiment among the people, it is very 
certain that it would be a dead law. Under the 
present conditions of industrial economy and the 
present type of Christianity, the Sunday news¬ 
paper in some modified form is bound to stay. 
It may be different under different conditions. 
Changed religious conditions will no doubt bring 
about a healthy change in the customs and con¬ 
duct of the people. These conditions are, greater 
zeal, more light, and a truer imitation of the Mas¬ 
ter in mind and heart. Formulated creeds must 
be held in a subordinated position, and Christ or 
the Christ-spirit substituted in their place. When 
all can practically worship as one Church in spirit, 
and all have rightly-founded views of the Lord’s 
Day, then much may be expected. 

Not only changed religious conditions, but 
changed industrial conditions will help to modify 
existing circumstances. When all can have a 


284 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

comfortable home, with music, magazines, reli¬ 
gious papers, a library of religious books, it will 
furnish sufficient moral and spiritual occupation, 
during the hours of the Lord’s Day, apart from 
Church worship. Then the Sunday Daily will not 
be needed or desired, because something better 
has been substituted. 

Having made these preliminary observations 
and noted a few objections usually entertained by 
the Church to the Sunday newspaper we will now 
enquire what is the final solution. The only 
ground on which we may condemn any act on 
Sunday that is permissible on other days of the 
week, is its relation to the condition of divine 
worship. Does it militate against the proper con¬ 
ditions for religious worship? We have seen 
that the Sunday paper robs hundreds of working 
people of the privilege, not only of worship, but 
of a day of rest; that it denies to hundreds rest 
and worship in the transportation of the paper; 
that it causes thousands of newsboys to work 
when they should be at Church and Sunday 
School. As a consequence, they are robbed of 
that moral and religious training which all need 
in order to make good citizens. In the city of 
Boston there are about four thousand licensed 
newsboys. Think of the great injustice done 


The Application of the Test. 


285 


them in preventing their attendance at places 
where moral and religious instruction is to be 
obtained, and in denying their youthful natures a 
day of rest. In the next place the incessant 
shouting, unrestrained yelling, and general uproar 
of the newspaper venders on a Sunday morning, 
is certainly disturbing to the quiet rest of the 
people and annoying to those who desire suitable 
stillness for their devotions. 

From this brief review of the Sunday paper we 
must conclude that it very decidedly violates the 
favorable conditions of worship. When no special 
need is felt and no great benefit derived, it has 
no just claim to be exempt from prohibition by 
the authorities. It cannot be gainsaid that the 
Sunday paper at the present is here to stay in a 
more or less modified form. From all this dis¬ 
cussion the only available solution is to first seek 
to change the time of its publication from Sunday 
to Saturday evening. The paper must be dis¬ 
tributed and sold on Saturday evening, and that 
would hush the cries of thousands of newsboys on 
Sunday morning, give rest to hundreds of express 
agents and train hands, cause less running of 
trains and would leave a day of rest for worship 
for news agents, compositors, reporters, editors and 
managers. This is the method that is followed in 


286 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

Toronto and there is no general disposition to have 
it otherwise. With the evidence at hand this is 
the only adequate solution at present. The next 
will be to change the nature of the paper to one 
more religious in its tone. This will come slower, 
as the people will have to undergo a change spirit¬ 
ually to demand such a change. However, the 
Sunday paper is comparatively speaking only in 
its infancy; and more time is, no doubt, needed 
to see it thoroughly in all its features. Possibly 
when more time has elapsed so that the results 
may be more fairly estimated, a new and better 
solution may be presented. But this is the only 
solution at present that the evidence will justify. 

Sunday Railroading . 

Sunday traffic on railroads has a very important 
bearing on Sunday observance throughout the 
country. The whistling, puffing and humming 
of trains certainly disturbs the quiet of every 
railroad town, and leads to many forms of railroad 
desecration. The influence of example is as po¬ 
tent here as elsewhere, and tends to a certain 
looseness. When we think of 200,000 miles of 
railway lines operated by 1,000,000 men, touching 
almost every community in America, we immedi¬ 
ately perceive its far-reaching influence. While 


The Application of the Test . 


28T 


the general running of trains is to be regretted, 
yet it is very questionable if the total suspension 
of trains would be an unqualified good. The 
amount of traffic now on week days is simply 
enormous; and for all trains to be held off might 
not be for the best interests of society. If our 
lines of railroad stretched across a little island 
like Ireland or Cuba, it would somewhat alter the 
question; but it stretches its iron fingers over a 
huge continent of three thousand miles in length, 
ranging between the equatorial regions on the 
south to the frigid clime of the north. It also 
has intimate relations with ocean steamers which 
leave or arrive on Sunday or at times closely bor¬ 
dering on that day. From statements of those 
at the head of railway departments, there is little 
or nothing gained financially by most roads, and 
there is evidently a disposition among many rail¬ 
road corporations to reduce the traffic to the 
lowest practical limit on the Lord’s Day. But 
the pressure of business men who demand “ de¬ 
spatch ” for their freight, also some religious socie¬ 
ties who call for special running of trains to 
accommodate their meetings, have made it diffi¬ 
cult for managers of railroads to carry out their 
wishes in the matter. To them there is no alter¬ 
native, but it is simply a matter of compulsion. 


288 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

Usually shippers and consignees are not willing 
to allow the railroad companies an extra day for 
rest when their goods are being handled. If the 
people did not make such urgent demands upon 
the railway agents, the problem of Sunday rail¬ 
roading would no doubt settle itself. No doubt, 
most lines could dispense with Sunday trains ex¬ 
cept some passenger trains on trunk lines. Cases 
of accidents, sickness, death, disappointment in 
train connections, matters of serious interest, 
whether civil, political, or financial, necessitate 
Sunday traffic to a limited extent between great 
centres on trunk lines. The transit of mails is 
an important consideration also, but the diffi¬ 
culties in this connection could be obviated by a 
different arrangement with the United States 
authorities. Possibly a train each way morning 
and evening on through lines would answer the 
demands of the people so far as passenger service 
is concerned. The Sunday halt with freight is 
not as serious as it used to be. Now there are 
refrigerator cars wherein perishable goods are not 
injured to any appreciable extent by an extra day 
of rest. Shipping live stock presents a little dif¬ 
ferent phase, but that could easily be remedied. 
It would be better for all parties concerned to 
rest and feed the stock say after twenty-four 


The Application of the Test . 


289 


hours of continuous travel. Beyond this the So¬ 
ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 
would have a pretext for interfering. Some 
states already have made laws to the effect that 
live stock could not be kept on the train for more 
than twenty-eight hours on a continuous trip. 
The only way in which loss could occur by rest¬ 
ing on Sunday would be in case of immediate 
shipment by water from the terminals. This 
could be remedied by compelling steamship com¬ 
panies to depart on other days than the day of 
the Lord. Some companies already, of their own 
free will, have adopted a rule not to load or un¬ 
load cargoes on Sunday. This is the policy of the 
Cunard line of steamers. If they even arrive on 
Sunday, the passengers are allowed to go on shore, 
but all work of unloading is entirely suspended. 

Sunday excursions, beyond local significance, 
are, generally speaking, harmful to the interests of 
society. Sunday is not a holiday; it has greater 
significance. There are many other days provided 
expressly for holidaying. Sunday devoted to ex- 
cursioning does not meet a felt need, and perverts 
the very thing that the day aims at. Few, if any, 
are better fitted for work on Monday morning by 
indulging in the dissipation of a Sunday excur¬ 
sion. If continually persisted in, a stolid indif- 


290 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

ference to the highest interest of man results. 
Their influence in a community for good is not 
helpful. 

It is within the power of the people to deter¬ 
mine, in a great measure, the Sunday observance 
of railroad corporations. They usually provide 
what the people demand, and leave unprovided that 
which is not called for. Mr. Hicky, secretary of 
the International Sabbath Association, who has 
intimate relations with many railway magnates, 
reports them as not even uttering a word of dis¬ 
couragement concerning the discontinuance of 
trains on Sunday and says, “ If only the people 
will stop demanding of us Sunday traffic we will 
gladly see that no wheel shall be turned on Sun¬ 
day/’ 1 The Vice-President said to the same 
gentleman: “ We want every wheel stopped on 
Sunday for financial reasons.” 2 Another stated 
“ We should save one quarter of our expenses by 
stopping our Sunday trains.” Quoting Mr. Hicky 
again he says: “ The great obstacle to Sabbath 
observance to-day is the thoughtless habits of 
Christian people themselves. Railroad men know 
this; Col. Scott knows this; Mr. Vanderbilt 
knows it; Mr. Jewett knows it; and Mr. Ganatt 
knows it.” 3 No railroad is run on Sunday in 

1 Sabbath Essays, p. 420. 2 Ibid., p. 419. 3 Ibid., 420. 


The Application of the Test. 291 

Belgium; and in Canada all local service is sus¬ 
pended. It is readily seen that such a condition 
of things depends on the people themselves. The 
future is assured when the people are instructed, 
followed by agitation and legislation. When the 
people are a unit regarding any truth or idea, 
there will then be little difficulty in putting it on 
the statute books. A law like the following 
would be wholesome in nearly all places. No 
running of trains on the Lord’s Day between sun¬ 
rise and sunset except allowed by the railway 
commissioners upon application by the railroad 
authorities, provided they do not run after nine 
o’clock in the forenoon or before three o’clock in 
the afternoon. The above is not to interfere with 
a passenger train on trunk lines each way morn¬ 
ing and evening. This would give employees on 
trains that must run, a rest of at least six hours 
at the time of religious worship. A law of this 
kind would spare the churches the annoyance of 
trains, and give the men a chance to improve the 
benefits of Sunday service. 

Sunday Mails. 

The mails are an important factor in the busi¬ 
ness relations of our country. It is not often in 
the life of a business man that he must have his 


292 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

mail on Sunday in order to save himself from 
serious loss. There may be a few cases, but com¬ 
paratively speaking not enough to warrant the 
opening of all the offices. When things of special 
importance need attention, more direct methods 
can be resorted to, such as the telephone and tele¬ 
graph. If mails are distributed on Sunday it 
means writing, mailing, thinking on business mat¬ 
ters, worry and annoyance, which would not occur 
if Sunday mails were entirely laid aside. This is 
entirely out of line with the design and work of 
the worship day of the Christian Church. The 
gain in having the mail on Sunday does not com¬ 
pare with the loss it entails. News agents, ex¬ 
press agents, train clerks, post office clerks lose 
the needed rest and worship, and this renders 
them less efficient. The first year of Mr. Harri¬ 
son’s administration, Mr. Wanamaker, the Post¬ 
master General, sent to one hundred of the largest 
Post Offices to determine the relative amount of 
receipt and despatch mail on Sunday compared 
with other days. 1 The replies showed that the 
sale of stamps on Sunday was comparatively in¬ 
significant; that the callers at the Post Offices 
comprised a very small number of its patrons; 
and that the letter-carriers’ work was practically 
1 The Sunday Problem, p. 222. 


The Application of the Test . 293 

reduced to a minimum, deliveries being suspended 
and the work confined to the service for an hour 
or two at the Post Office waiting upon callers. It 
was his opinion that as trains carried U. S. mail 
on Sunday, the offices would have to open a 
short time to attend to them, or have a blockade 
which would have a serious effect on business, 
and thus demoralize the mail arrangements. The 
great city of London allows no mail on Sunday. 
If the greatest city in the world delivers no mail 
on the Lord’s Day, smaller cities would not suffer 
appreciably by similar action. No mail work is 
done in Ontario, Canada, on Sunday. If that rich 
and thickly settled province can get along without 
Sunday mails, why not other states also ? 

The best way out at present is to have local 
option, and if a town votes to close the office, then 
let the Postmaster General close it and call for 
such action that would cancel the U. S. mail on 
Sunday for that particular town or city. 

Amusements . 

A student of the history of Rome can scarcely 
fail to note the intimate relation between amuse¬ 
ments and its downfall. The craze for amuse¬ 
ments gives a distaste for work, enervates the vital 
energies, creates idleness, vice, immorality, and 


294 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

dissolution. It cannot be denied that we are 
seriously affected with this craze. Many are not 
satisfied with six days in the wee^:, but utilize the 
seventh also for the prosecution of selfish pleas¬ 
ures. Not only on ordinary days, but days set 
apart by civil authorities or by custom to be de¬ 
voted to the most sacred purposes, are ruthlessly 
trampled upon, as much as paganism ever trampled 
upon the institution of Christianity. Good Fri¬ 
day, Day of Prayer, Thanksgiving Day, and 
Christmas Day are especially religious days in 
which people are called to devout and prayerful 
meditation. But sad to say they are made simply 
occasions for merry-making. Little respect is 
shown, in some quarters, for the feeling and con¬ 
venience of the true worshipper of God. The 
Lord’s Day is made a seventh picnic day, a holi¬ 
day, in fact, a sport’s day. So thoroughly do 
many devote themselves to the indulgence of 
amusements on that day, that Monday must be 
mostly given up to rest. Baseball, picnicking, the¬ 
atres, hunting, fishing, boating, excessive bicycling, 
form the diversions followed by many throughout 
the country. 

Baseball. 

Baseball is entirely out of harmony with the 
nature of the day. The original purpose was to 


The Application of the Test . 295 

make money without a legitimate demand by the 
best people for such a pastime. It does not serve 
the best interests of the people. It neither in¬ 
structs, edifies nor ennobles. It interferes with 
the rest and quiet of religious people — a right 
they are entitled to — and draws from those insti¬ 
tutions that are designed to elevate the people. 
Sunday is entitled to protection from public spec¬ 
tacles, that interfere with these conditions, that 
are necessary for the faithful discharge of the 
duties of the day. When the youth are drawn 
away from places where they can receive spiritual 
instruction, the day has been lost to them, and their 
moral nature has suffered thereby. The Sunday 
School where special moral teaching is given, is 
seriously affected by the attractive power of the 
ball game. It also robs the players and officials 
of a day of rest and religious culture, and the 
spectators are by no means put in a pious mood 
by the exciting fortunes of the game. The game 
in itself must not only be considered, but the 
crowd by which it is characterized. Drinking, 
dissipation, and gambling seem to be an indispen¬ 
sable adjunct of this form of amusement, with but 
few exceptions. Anything that makes an open 
door to dissipation comes under the list of things 
that ought to be prohibited by the civil powers. 


296 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

Should Sunday ball be encouraged, then would 
follow foot ball, horse racing, and similar pleasures 
until the day would lose its distinctive features. 

Sunday Golf. 

As Sunday golf has become a game of national 
interest, a few words here would not be out of 
place. This form of amusement is not attended 
with the same objectionable features as baseball, 
etc., at least not to the same degree. The game 
is usually removed beyond the limits of the town 
or city, where but few are attracted. It lacks also 
that disturbing element that is found with many 
other public games. This makes the question more 
difficult of solution. However if we apply our 
test we will get a fair conception of what is our 
duty. Does it interfere with the favorable con¬ 
ditions of worship? In the first place it is to be 
noted that those who participate in the game go in 
groups or clubs, purely for the purpose of sport. 
It is needless to say that the purpose is entirely 
out of sympathy with the purposes of the Lord’s 
Day. Now when we consider the time and atten¬ 
tion spent in preparation, in dress and outfit, for 
the game, preparation for travelling, the exciting 
interest of the game, and the consequent fatigue, 
no fair-minded person can say that such is in ac- 


The Application of the Test. 297 

cord with the object of the day. Does it minister 
to bodily rest? Does it develop pious thoughts? 
Does it lead to the contemplation of man — his 
duty and destiny? Does it stimulate thoughts 
regarding the Author of all and our relation to 
Him? The answer must be in the negative. 
Concerning the players, it certainly unfits their 
minds for any exercise in harmony with the de¬ 
signs of the day. What influence does it have 
upon others? If it were allowed other sporting 
clubs would demand recognition. The gun club 
would ask for the privilege of hunting and target 
practicing on Sunday, and various other organiza¬ 
tions would request exemption from legal dis¬ 
abilities for their particular sport on the Lord’s 
Day. This would set in motion a general spirit 
of dissipation on the day calculated for spiritual 
development. 

Sunday Picnic . 

The Sunday picnic in a public form must be 
counted out of the legitimate diversions of the 
Lord’s Day. We cannot see where the ordinary 
picnic furnishes rest or opportunity for divine 
contemplation. Of course a quiet retreat, or a 
little diversion in the midst of nature, is helpful, 
and not out of harmony with the object of the 
day, but picnics of a large number of people in 


298 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

the midst of noise and confusion, where swings 
and merry-go-rounds are in full blast, cannot be 
a substitute for religious exercises. Sunday is a 
building day. The structure to be built is the 
temple of manhood. This great work is done 
mainly in youth’s plastic period. And as Sunday 
is the day specially devoted to the building up of 
the moral character, a picnic would take the youth 
and children out of reach of the Church and other 
helpful institutions. This form of exercise is not 
designed to edify but to provide means for a 
general good time. At the close of the day the 
fatigue exceeds that of other days, and whose 
energies are completely dissipated. In such cases 
no rest is gained for the body, no discipline for 
the heart, and no spiritual truth for the soul; 
they have completely missed the mark and lost 
the day. The ordinary picnic cannot be indulged 
in and maintain a proper respect for Christ and 
his resurrection. 


Sunday Theatre. 

If the teachings of the theatre, too, lead heaven¬ 
ward, there would be some consideration for its 
open doors on the Lord’s Day. But we think no 
one who is informed on the subject will risk his 
reputation in making the statement that it does 


The Application of the Test . 299 

lead in that direction. Then those who are con¬ 
nected with such an enterprise, need a day off in 
the week, and Sunday is the proper day. The 
interests of the public are not so urgent as to call 
them to forego their rest at least on that particular 
day. It also interferes with the attendance on 
religious services on Sunday evening. When 
anything militates against religious services, with 
no other object than to furnish amusement, it 
certainly is out of place on the Lord’s Day. 

Hunting and Fishing . 

Hunting and fishing are forms of amusement 
on the Lord’s Day that ought to be discouraged. 
If a person does not use the day in worship, he 
ought to at least rest completely from his labor; 
and this kind of pastime is not a form of rest but 
rather a form of sport. Example is wonderfully 
“ catching ” regarding this kind of exercise. It 
takes men from places of nobler influences and 
leaves them worse off than if they had spent the 
day in labor. 

Boating , Bicycling and Riding. 

Boating, bicycling, and riding cannot be pro¬ 
hibited by law, except where they become a 
nuisance and encroach upon the rights and privi¬ 
leges of Christian people. When these are in- 


300 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

dulged in for pleasure and beyond a reasonable 
degree, then there is occasion for complaint. 
Where the bounds of propriety are overstepped in 
this regard, they might be limited to only certain 
hours of the day. The law could have no pre¬ 
rogative in prohibiting people who use them 
within certain limits. It is only when these be¬ 
come annoying that it can be a subject of law. 
It is very difficult to state what are the limits of 
propriety ; more time is needed to ascertain 
more fully its effects. The use of the bicycle 
in club runs etc., militates seriously with Church 
attendance in most places, which is not a hopeful 
sign for a better condition of things for the future. 

Boating for recreation should be limited to cer¬ 
tain hours in the afternoon. Riding for pleasure 
in carriages on Sunday does not seem to be 
attended with such evils that legislation is neces¬ 
sary. Somehow the influence of example is not 
seen here as in the bicycle. 

Sunday Cars . 

Street cars naturally fall in the line of this 
discussion. Very few will deny they are a public 
necessity. Toronto has bravely maintained the 
“ no cars on Sunday,” but a recent vote of the 
people showed that the sentiment had turned and 


The Application of the Test . 801 

now the lines are in operation every day of the 
week. Many churches in a city like Boston, 
would have to close up, were it not for the street 
cars. As the cars are a means of conveyance the 
needs of the public demand them and the welfare 
of the public is subserved. 

Nothing should be allowed as a pastime that 
does not tend to self improvement, education, 
along moral and religious lines, but great caution 
must be used to avoid being Puritanical in mak¬ 
ing and enforcing Sunday laws. A too rigid 
course is likely to antagonize those that Christi¬ 
anity is seeking to win. Let such be a last 
resort. The chief aim should be to give life to 
the community in its moral aspect and the other 
things will fit in comparatively easy. Instances 
are on record where there has been strict Sabbath 
keeping, and at the same time moral rottenness has 
abounded to an alarming degree. On the other 
hand it is not wise to be imposed upon too much 
by Sunday desecrators. Christians have rights 
and feelings that ought to be respected. The 
reckless Sunday destructionist that cares neither 
for the feeling of Christians, laws, nor the many 
sacred institutions, ought to be treated with a 
judicious rebuke that will impress him that others 
have rights that must not be ignored. 


802 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

The institution of the Lord’s Day ought to be 
protected, as it is a day for the improvement of 
the conduct and life of mankind. 

Everything should be so arranged as to allow 
people to attend Church for moral instruction and 
spiritual help. No attraction should be allowed 
that would have a tendency to draw the people 
from where they can get this spiritual culture, and 
nothing should be permitted to be done that would 
disturb them while they are engaged in that 
exercise. 

So Called Things of Necessity . 

Much is made of “ things of necessity ” in some 
quarters and by some writers. With them, that 
by which a dollar can be made on Sunday, is 
considered a necessity. This is sometimes re¬ 
sorted to by those who are specially engaged, for 
instance, in the strawberry business. We mention 
this business because it best represents garden 
produce as a class: High prices are given early 
on Monday morning, and those in the business 
who pick and ship their produce on Sunday have 
the advantage of the high prices. Successful pro¬ 
ducers however have said that taking one year 
with another they have lost nothing by resting 
one day in the week. 

In haying and harvest time many work on 


The Application of the Test . 303 

Sunday without any scruples, claiming that a 
great loss is probable if it is not done. Experi¬ 
enced and successful farmers of high moral char¬ 
acter are almost unanimously in favor of keeping 
the Lord’s Day, rain or shine. There was never 
a rain which was not followed by sunshine after 
it to dry up the dampness. Very seldom does 
there a case arise where permanent injury is done 
if foresight is used. Example in this matter 
counts for a great deal. If one can work on 
Sunday then all have the same right, and when 
one kind of work is done, it will extend to all 
kinds and then general lawlessness will prevail, 
and all will suffer. 

If all worked on Sunday when they saw an 
opportunity of a little gain, we soon would be 
without a day of rest. The workingman, the 
manufacturer, the professional man and all others 
ought to forego what little gold might be gained 
in a day, for the greater good to themselves and 
the community. The true citizen will sacrifice a 
little material wealth for the sake of moral worth 
and spiritual power. 

Things Permissible on Sunday . 

We have indicated certain things that are not 
consistent with the purposes of the Lord’s Day 


304 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

and will point out now a few things that are per¬ 
missible. A full list of all that may with pro¬ 
priety be indulged in on Sunday, would be 
wearisome and call for more space than its im¬ 
portance demands, but some things will be given 
to indicate the general features of legitimate 
Sunday occupation. 

In touching this aspect of the subject, care 
must be taken as to what is the dominant spirit 
of the times. A great change has set in within 
recent times. New industrial conditions, where 
the instruments of production are controlled by 
the few, where machinery has displaced hand 
labor, where the keen competition of corporations 
has produced over-work and under-paid workmen, 
have altered the method of Sunday observance 
inside as well as outside of the Christian Church. 
The close confinement within the factory walls, 
the clatter and hum of machinery, the rush and 
hustle of business, and the pressure of manifold 
duties, put such a strain upon the nerves that 
complete relaxation on Sunday is demanded. On 
account of the economic situation some use it as a 
sleeping day, some a rest day, some a reading day, 
some a recreation day, and some a visiting day. 
But this does not militate against the spirit of our 
worship day, for the duties of the day include 


The Application of the Test. 305 

among other things rest, reading, and recreation. 
Those special acts that minister to the greatest 
needs of the body comport with the object of the 
Lord’s Day. The danger lies in looking on the 
material side and forgetting entirely the spiritual 
side of our nature. However for those who do not 
worship, provision must he made to accomplish 
as much as possible that which worship aims at — 
an ideal character. There are many legitimate 
forms of recreation on Sunday that are refreshing, 
instructive, ennobling, and inspiring. 

Libraries and reading rooms in large centres 
ought to be open to the public on Sunday after¬ 
noon. In them is contained the learning and 
light of all former ages. The wisdom of saints, 
scientists, and philosophers, can be had for the 
taking. Here contact is found with the greatest 
and noblest of mankind, the influence of which 
cannot but quicken the intellect and mould the 
soul in the image of its ideal. This certainly is 
in accord with the practical results of the ideal 
Lord’s Day. 

The doors of art galleries should be free to 
all for a few hours on the Lord’s Day. The 
refining influence of the objects of beauty, the 
pleasure and joy in their contemplation, the en¬ 
nobling effect of ideals, must contribute largely to 


306 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

the soul growth after the model of the perfect 
man. Who can estimate the influence for good 
of an art museum whose patrons on a Sunday 
afternoon number about four or five thousand? 

Sunday is a day for lectures bearing on ques¬ 
tions vitally connected with life in its various 
forms; and those which stir the mind with help¬ 
ful truths and fit it better for living, have a 
legitimate place on Sunday. 

Stereopticon views for the purpose of instruc¬ 
tion or for giving the soul religious, ethical, or 
patriotic feelings, are entitled to a fit place on the 
worship-day of Christendom. 

Sacred concerts, and band concerts conducted 
within the limits of propriety, have a mission in 
the culture of the soul. Music cheers, inspires, 
brightens, and fosters new life and strength for 
the conflicts and struggle in life. It is divine 
and anything that points in that direction har¬ 
monizes with the spirit and nature of the resur¬ 
rection-day of Christ. 

Public meetings to promote those reforms that 
touch the moral and religious life of the people, 
are within the limits of the proper uses of the 
Lord’s Day. 

Parks, public gardens, and picnic grounds 
should not be closed to those who wish to avail 


The Application of the Test . 30T 

themselves of the scenes of nature. Those who 
are tied down to hard work the whole week, to go 
out in the midst of nature with its sunlight and 
fresh air, must certainly be fitted better for the 
coming week’s work, and is not inconsistent 
with the object sought on the first day of the 
week. 

A short drive on Sunday afternoon is a form 
of recreation which is re-creating. The effect of 
such is healthful and refreshing and aids in bring¬ 
ing the body up to the highest efficiency for ser¬ 
vice and duty. 

A short run on the bicycle might not be out of 
place on Sunday if the example did not affect 
injuriously anyone else. But somehow it does, 
and those that copy spend the whole day, instead 
of an hour or two. The bicycle craze is becoming 
a source of much complaint from many parts 
of the country. It empties churches, Sunday 
Schools, libraries, and art rooms, with no corre¬ 
sponding gain. In time to come when the evils 
of the craze assert themselves more conspicuously, 
there will then be occasion to make a law limiting 
the use of the bicycle for pleasure to certain hours 
of the day. Christians who make public senti¬ 
ment regarding the Lord’s Day, and the conserva¬ 
tors of its observance, should he careful as to 


308 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

whether their example in bicycle riding would be 
productive of more harm than good. 

In the industrial line some things, according to 
our standard are also permissible. The bakery 
must be allowed open doors for a couple of hours 
for business on Sunday morning. The necessity 
arises in large cities where many eat, sleep, and 
live in one room, for in such crowded quarters 
there is neither room for, nor the proper means for 
preserving the various articles of food. If all 
had wealth, beautiful homes, complete supply of 
cooking utensils, servants, etc., the open bakery 
would be uncalled for, but our present conditions 
demand its presence. It is a necessity of the 
people and it does not interfere with the duty 
of nor the spirit of worship. 

Street cars, steam cars, steamboats, and all 
other means , of public conveyance must be in 
operation to a limited extent on Sunday to supply 
the rightful demand of the public for locomo¬ 
tion from one place to another. It is perfectly 
in accord with the object of the Lord’s Day and 
meets a legitimate need of the public. 


Right of the State to Make Sunday Laws. 309 


CHAPTER XIV. 

EIGHT OF THE STATE TO MAKE SUNDAY LAWS. 

Is the state exceeding its prerogative when it 
attempts to make Sunday laws ? Has the state 
the right to make legal enactments bearing on 
Sunday conduct when the Church and state are 
entirely independent bodies ? This kind of legis¬ 
lation has raised strong protests from some well 
meaning people. The claim is made that the lib¬ 
erties guaranteed by the Constitution are violated, 
and indignation is expressed by the epithets 
“ tyranny,” “ bigotry,” “ interference with individ¬ 
ual rights,” etc. The state, it is said, has ex¬ 
ceeded its legitimate bounds when it endeavors to 
make men religious. It is asserted that the state 
has transgressed the limits fixed upon by the 
federal constitution. Anti-sabbatarian conven¬ 
tions claiming the above conceptions have been 
held in our country, and have been supported by 
men carrying great weight in political and legal 
matters. In 1858 the chief justice of the supreme 


310 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

court of California ruled that Sunday laws were 
unconstitutional. Two years later this verdict 
was reversed and the validity of Sunday laws was 
established. 

The anti-sabbatarians are quite persistent in 
emphasizing the idea that as the Church in Amer¬ 
ica is separated from the state, the state cannot 
therefore force church laws or religious ideas 
upon a people under such a government. It is 
necessary, however, to look at the prerogatives 
that are rightfully possessed by the state, and then 
apply them to the Sunday laws. 

The state must guarantee to all (1) the protec¬ 
tion of life and property, (2) the enjoyment of 
equal rights. The liberty of one must not en¬ 
croach upon the liberty of another. (3) The 
state has the right to legislate in the interest of a 
majority of the people in sentiments, feelings, 
and national customs, provided they do not take 
away the rights given by the constitution. (4) 
The state has the acknowledged right to deter¬ 
mine ways and means for the public improvement. 
The compulsory education of every child, whether 
rich or poor, without money or price, is recognized 
as one of the most important duties of the state. 
Public libraries supported by state or municipal 
authorities are endorsed by all. Art museums at 


Right of the State to Make Sunday Laws. 311 

the expense of the people in their corporate capa¬ 
city are approved by all good citizens. Here is 
recognized the cultivation of the sesthetical fac¬ 
ulty brought about through the instrumentality 
of law. (5) The state must look to its own 
future life, and therefore must institute methods 
or laws that will have the tendency to conserve 
its own existence. Children that give evidence 
of becoming a source of trouble to the state 
must be sent to the reform school. The mainte¬ 
nance of an army and navy in a time of peace, 
also emigration laws are measures that look to the 
future welfare of the state. 

Let us therefore inquire what claims Sunday 
has that the state is bound to respect. We said 
the state could not ignore the constituent elements 
of life among the people thus organized. In our 
country many years ago a national organization 
was effected by a people of certain religious cus¬ 
toms and habits, and one of these customs was 
the observance of the Lord’s Day. It was an 
essential factor in the life of the people, and was 
deeply imbedded in the minds and hearts. Now 
states are only peoples organized under certain 
acknowledged methods of procedure. The laws 
will take color from the life and opinions of the 
people in such a corporation. Whatever the sen- 


312 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

timents of the great majority are, that usually is 
incorporated into their legal code. If their sen¬ 
timents are not put into the legal system, they are 
protected and guarded so as not to be imposed 
upon. This, then, was a very natural thing to do 
to recognize by law the Lord’s Day, which seemed 
inseparable from the people’s life, and was a prime 
characteristic of Christian civilization. 

The second great claim the Lord’s Day has 
upon the state is the weekly rest day for the 
workingman. This is an age of fire, steam and 
lightning. The pressure upon the nervous sys¬ 
tem of those in the business arena is tremendous. 
Nightly rest and even weekly rest is scarcely 
enough for the overworked ; however, one day off 
in the week relieves the situation to a great ex¬ 
tent, and untold blessings follow in its train. In 
these times a weekly day is needed to relax the 
strain upon the mind and muscle. Continuous 
work day by day, without a break is brutalizing, 
exhausting, and destructive to muscle, mind, and 
manhood. It weakens the hand, dulls the head, 
and chills the feelings of the heart. To kill off a 
people, it is only necessary to work them all the 
time, or have them play all the time. History has 
shown that either will accomplish the end. To 
save the nation then, a seventh rest day for spirit- 


Right of the State to MaJce Sunday Laws . 313 

ual purposes as well as for bodily rest must at 
least be granted and observed. 

Greed of most corporations would compel men 
to work all the time were it not for the laws the 
people enact. They are unable to fight the cor¬ 
porations, and are therefore at their mercy. It is 
the business of the state, in a matter of this kind, 
to protect the working man and allow him his 
rights. The state is then justified in making for 
the laboring man one day of rest in seven. 

In the third place Sunday has a claim upon the 
state on account of the social side of life. A day 
of complete cessation of labor is needed for the 
opportunity of social cultivation Sunday is also 
a family day. The family is the basis of the state, 
and what affects the family affects all. The pres¬ 
ervation of the family is the greatest concern of 
the state. Sunday affords an opportunity to cul¬ 
tivate the relations that exist between the members 
of the family circle. At present the workman 
leaves home at the break of day and arrives back 
at its close scarcely seeing his own children during 
the light of day. Sunday, then, is the only time 
he can cultivate the tender relations he holds to 
his children, and give to them the care, counsel, 
devotion, and love that are demanded of the father. 
As we have social natures, they crave for proper 


314 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

exercise. It is certainly helpful for members of a 
community to meet together, to visit together, 
exchange courtesies, learn of one another’s wel¬ 
fare, enter into one another’s sympathies, and pro¬ 
mote good feelings and well being in general. If 
there were incessant toil, no opportunity would be 
given to meet in society, consequently the finer 
feelings of society or humanity would die out for 
the want of proper cultivation. In such a condi¬ 
tion men would become coarse, brutal, and stupid. 

In the fourth place the state is in duty bound 
to legislate in favor of Sunday rest in considera¬ 
tion of its moral effect upon the community. It 
is a day in the week in which moral truth and 
ideas are taught in Churches, Sunday Schools, 
young people’s meetings, prayer meetings, etc. 
On that day the duties to the state, to one another, 
and to God, also the principles of moral conduct 
are outlined and impressed upon all. Young and 
old are brought under the range of moral and 
religious truths. No other institution has a 
greater moral influence upon the people than that 
of the resurrection day of Christ. Its moral 
effect is recognized by all legislators from the fact 
that the Church is exempt from taxation. 
Another notable instance of tnis recognition is 
seen in the U. S. Army and Navy. Article 52 


Right of the State to Make Sunday Laws. 315 

of the Army regulations reads, “ It is earnestly 
recommended to all officers and soldiers to attend 
to divine service. Any officer who behaves in¬ 
decently or irreverently at any place of divine 
worship shall be brought before a general court- 
martial, there to be severely reprimanded by 
the President himself.” The Navy regulations in 
Article 843 are, “ Sunday must be observed on 
board of all vessels of the Navy and all stations 
and navy yards in an orderly manner by officers 
and men. All labor or duty will be reduced to 
the measure of strict necessity. The religious ten¬ 
dencies of officers and men are to be encouraged 
and suitable times and places be assigned to 
divine worship.” The law for Cadets is even 
stricter, as seen from Article 125 : “ It is ear¬ 
nestly recommended to all officers of the Academy, 
and to all Cadets, diligently to attend to divine 
service appointed on Sunday, unless excused from 
such attendance upon their declaration that they 
cannot conscientiously attend. The Cadets will 
in like manner be excused who make a similar 
declaration with the written approval of their 
parents and guardians, such approval having been 
obtained by application through the Superinten¬ 
dent.” 

Finally, Sunday has a claim upon the state for 


316 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

protection on account of its influence in preserv¬ 
ing and maintaining those factors that are essen¬ 
tial to the existence of the state. Religion and 
a special day for its exercise, have an exceedingly 
vital relation to the nation’s stability and per¬ 
petuity. History has abundantly shown how puri¬ 
fied religion unites and strengthens the ties between 
individual members composing the nation, also it 
purifies, elevates and makes powerful the nation 
itself. The most prominent factor calculated to 
insure the future existence of the state is this 
special day for religious worship, which, if left out 
must have a serious effect upon the bonds of any 
political organization. 

In making Sunday laws the state is not com¬ 
pelling men to be religious, but rather producing 
favorable conditions where the right of worship 
may be freely exercised. People of religious 
convictions have a right to be protected in the 
exercise of this duty from the encroachments, 
impositions, and abuse of others, but this pro¬ 
tection is not designed to make people religious 
by law. 


Appeal for Concerted Action. 


317 


CHAPTER XV. 

APPEAL FOP CONCERTED ACTION. 

Concerning Saturdarians. 

None can fail to admire the zeal for the Sab¬ 
bath by the denominations represented in the 
above heading. Indeed they far outstrip the Jews 
to whom the day was first given. Nothing shall 
be said here against any follower of God or Chris¬ 
tian denomination, that is sincerely striving to 
serve the Master as they understand what that 
service demands, and whatever thoughts are pre¬ 
sented concerning them is not in the spirit of an¬ 
tagonism or censure, but rather in the spirit of 
love for the sake of light and truth. 

Great emphasis, with these denominations, is 
placed upon the observance of the commandments 
of God. There seems to be .a vague idea among 
these people that all the commandments in the 
Bible must be obeyed, at least their words seem 
to convey that idea. This is a serious mistake. 
A majority of the commandments were given to 


318 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

people under certain conditions, and could not 
under present circumstances be obeyed by us. 
The Old Testament says, “ kill the witches,” also, 
“ If thou buy a Hebrew servant six years shall he 
serve.” Here these texts plainly command kill¬ 
ing and slavery. The law of revenge is taught in 
“ an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 
These are some of the moral commandments of 
the Old Testament given to show that we cannot 
consistently obey them. The same thing occurs 
in the New Testament writings. In the letters 
of Paul we have the command, “ Salute all the 
brethren with a holy kiss,” and Christ says : “ Sell 
all you have and give to the poor.” These would 
now be considered out of place, and in the latter 
case would work economic ruin. But we are told 
that these commandments are not engraven in 
stone. We have seen from a former chapter that 
the decalogue could not claim special rank, for 
one of the three different decalogues says: “ The 
feast of weeks thou shalt observe.” Because some 
commandments were written on stone, gives them 
no more authority than if they were written on 
parchment. The essential thing is were they given 
by God? Each commandment must be taken on 
its own merits. Those which are in accord with 
the teachings and spirit of Christ are binding upon 


Appeal for Concerted Action. 319 

us. From what has been said previous to this on 
the different commands of the decalogue, there 
can be no doubt about what is binding and what 
is not. 

Christ gave the Jewish Sabbath a fatal blow 
when he said, “ My Father worketh hitherto and I 
work.” Here at one sweep he has taken away 
the motive of keeping the Sabbath, which is the 
example of God. It does not seem consistent to 
rest on the Sabbath after this, for the reason that 
God does not rest himself. And if he does not 
rest himself how can he expect us to rest ? Christ 
evidently wanted to do away with it, and this was 
the first fatal thrust. 

Passing now from the words of Christ we come 
first to the Council of the disciples at Jerusalem. 
This Council only required four things to be ob¬ 
served, leaving out entirely the Sabba-th. Paul 
certainly did not regard the Sabbath as obligatory. 
He represents the law as a schoolmaster to lead to 
Christ, a shadow of things to come, and an old 
covenant. We are also told that we are under a 
new covenant. The old covenant is done away 
with, stating the contents of it — the tables of 
stone being among them. Without any equivo¬ 
cation Paul says we are “dead to the Law,” 
“redeemed from the law,” “delivered from the 


320 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

law,” and “not under the law.” No amount of 
word mongering can so twist these simple and 
plain words as to give any other meaning than 
that the whole Mosaic law is abolished, nailed to 
the cross, and only those moral precepts are bind¬ 
ing that are in line with the Gospel. 

It seems folly to think that the seventh day 
of the week has been the identical seventh day 
from creation down. It must not be supposed 
that the Seventh Day worship was handed down 
in regular succession from the creation of man. 
From recent finds in Babylonia, it is discovered 
that the early inhabitants of this country existed 
at least 7,000 years before Christ. This is the 
oldest people that we have any authentic record 
of, and beyond that it is a blank. No record has 
been kept to show how long the time elapsed 
between creation and the beginning of Baby¬ 
lonian reckoning. Now these people must have 
been the custodians of whatever sacred institu¬ 
tions existed prior to this historic period. It 
must be through them that successive weeks 
must be traced. Now this early Babylonian week 
was a lunar week, and their seventh day was the 
seventh day of the moon and not identical with 
the seventh day of our week. The first day of 
their week was Saturday and the seventh was 


Appeal for Concerted Action. 321 

Friday. In India where the week was established 
at a very early time, the weeks were lunar, and 
the first day was Monday and the seventh day 
was Sunday. The Egyptian weeks were also 
lunar, and the first day was Saturday and the 
seventh day was Friday. It is of no use to assert 
that the Mosaic commandment is the seventh day 
down from the beginning. No one has furnished 
the slightest evidence to support such a sweeping 
statement. 

Why should the Saturdarians commence the 
day at sundown? No doubt it is to have the 
identical time of Palestine where the command¬ 
ment was given. But our time differs with 
theirs about eight hours. Suppose at Chicago 
the sun sets at six o’clock, that would correspond 
to ten a.m., at Jerusalem. So to keep the identi¬ 
cal time of Jerusalem the Sabbath would have to 
commence at ten o’clock on Friday forenoon. 

Now the fourth commandment does not say the 
seventh day of the week but the seventh day 
after six days work. Here are the words “Re¬ 
member the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. Six 
days shalt thou labor and do all thy work: but 
the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” 
By this if we only work five days and are idle 
the next, we are not entitled, if we take the com- 


322 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

mand literally, to the Seventh Day’s rest. No 
Saturdarian keeps the identical time of Palestine 
or of Babylonia, they do not keep it in the same 
way, they do not carry out the penalties in the 
same way; then as they do not keep the day, its 
duties, and its penalties, they do not keep it at all. 

The objections to the keeping of the Old Testa¬ 
ment Sabbath are put briefly as follows: 1, No 
manner of work must be done, the rest must be 
absolute; 2, It obligates us to give the beast of 
burden, cattle, manservants and maidservants a 
rest which cannot be followed literally; 3, It was 
after six days’ work that they were required to 
rest; 4, It was originally the seventh day of the 
moon; 5, The time differs many hours from that of 
Palestine so that all cannot keep the identical 
time ; 6, True Sabbath keeping obligates one to 
observe the Sabbatic year and the year of jubilee; 
7, To be scriptural, punishment of death must fol¬ 
low its violation; 8, The Jewish Sabbath com¬ 
mences at sundown, and as there is no sundown at 
the poles for months at a time it cannot then be 
kept; 9, One must not go out of his place, 
bear a burden, gather sticks, nor kindle a fire on 
the Sabbath; 10, It was given to the Jews and 
had special significance to them and to no others; 
11, The fourth commandment does not require 


Appeal for Concerted Action. 323 

worship but only to be idle; 12, God does not 
rest himself on the Sabbath day. This was 
Christ’s special reason for working on the Sab¬ 
bath. 

True Christianity is a state of the heart. It is 
the “ Christ in you ” that constitutes a true fol¬ 
lower of the Master. If we are possessed with 
his spirit we have the credentials of Christianity. 
If we have that, we have all that there is in 
religion. When Christ left he sent the Spirit to 
be the teacher and leader. Now if the Spirit is to 
be the guide, why go back and be taught and led 
by Moses. We are surely following Moses when 
we have no other authority than simply his com¬ 
mandment. Paul said that “ Circumcision availeth 
nothing nor uncircumcision, but a new creature,” 
so with the Sabbath. Sabbath keeping availeth 
nothing nor Sabbath breaking, but a new creature. 
He tried to show the Roman Church that true 
circumcision was of the heart, so true Sabbath 
keeping is of the heart, in fact a heart Sabbath 
(rest) in Christ. Obeying Old Testament com¬ 
mandments is putting a new patch on an old gar¬ 
ment, and new wine in old bottles which Christ 
forbade. 

Although Christianity is a thing of the heart, 
yet Christendom has set a day apart for the 


324 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

purpose of worship. Not because it is a Sabbath 
or a holy day in its ancient sense, but simply to 
afford an opportunity for spiritual culture. It is 
the commemoration day of the resurrection of 
Christ from the dead, and it is more likely to call 
out our reverence for Christ and worship for God 
than any other day. It is not the essential of 
Christianity but a product of the reverence for 
Christ by his followers, and has in this age be¬ 
come a necessity. 

Then why not all pay homage to Christ by 
observing fitly the glad resurrection day ? Nothing 
is gained by some keeping the Saturday Sabbath 
and all the others observing Sunday. It leads to a 
disrespect for both days. Time cannot be lost by 
bickering over a relic of Judaism. Let us show 
our love and sacrifice by giving up the non-essen¬ 
tials for the larger good of all. Let us forget our 
differences and unite our forces for the redemption 
of the race. 

Concerning the Jews. 

No people have influenced the world God-ward 
more than the Jews. Nearly all the ancient king¬ 
doms of the world have been touched with the 
life of God’s chosen people, and lifted to a higher 
plane of moral living. It was through the Jews 
that God uttered his divine thoughts and gave to 


Appeal for Concerted Action. 325 

the race the fundamental principle of “ Love to 
men and love to God,” as the essence of pure and 
undefiled religion. The zeal for God and religion 
shown by this race of people, has been unsur¬ 
passed by anything in the pages of history. 
Whether enjoying prosperity and glory on the 
heights of Judea, or living as slaves in the Valley 
of the Nile, or as captives on the plains of 
Babylonia, or as the oppressed subjects of Greek 
and Roman rulers, they held tenaciously to the 
religion of Yahweh and preserved it to the present 
day. To-day they are scattered over the face of 
the earth, but even this has not weaned them 
from the great fundamental tenets of their cher¬ 
ished creed. Words are too insignificant to ex¬ 
press the world’s indebtedness to them for this 
inestimable blessing. Their teachings have shown 
that the great essential was love and righteousness. 
“ Cease to do evil and learn to do well ” crops out 
all through the law, prophets and historic writ¬ 
ings. Ordinances were instituted as an aid in 
calling out religious feelings, and to guide the 
mind to spiritual principles, thereby making more 
impressive the objective reality. One of these 
ordinances was the Seventh Day Sabbath. It was 
given like other holy times and seasons for man’s 
good and could be modified at will, when it could 


326 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

in a greater measure subserve the interests of the 
people. The ordinances aimed at righteousness, 
love and God-likeness. Isaiah said “ Bring no 
more vain oblations; incense is an abomination to 
me; new moon and Sabbath, the calling of 
assemblies, — I cannot away with iniquity even 
your solemn meeting. . . . Wash you, make you 
clean, put away the evil of your doings from be¬ 
fore my eyes; cease to do evil and learn to do 
well.” 1 This appears to substitute well doing for 
the keeping of the Sabbath: without well doing it 
is vain and useless. It implies the right to take 
away the Sabfcath, if it fails to make people more 
righteous. The Jews have made great advances 
in modifying the Sabbath already. The Jubilee 
and the seventh year Sabbath were given by God 
to this peculiar people, but is it kept now among 
them? Why not? Why is the Seventh Day 
Sabbath kept and the seventh year not kept, when 
they were both given by God and with equal 
authority ? It is not observed now, as it is not for 
the best welfare of the people of the country under 
present conditions. So the Sabbatic years have 
been abolished by the Jews themselves, because 
it would be more productive of good without it. 

Thus we see that even the Jew with all his 
1 Isa. i. 13, 16. 


Appeal for Concerted Action . 327 

strictness and austerity has made great alterations 
in his methods and religious customs to suit 
varying circumstances. He has gotten far away 
from the Scriptural sense of the Sabbath and 
has adopted the custom of Christian sects. The 
way of keeping the Sabbath has been effected 
by modern influences. In olden times the con¬ 
scientious Jew would not light a fire on the 
Sabbath Hay, but now not even the strictest 
Jew would hesitate to do this forbidden thing. 
Formerly he would not make a journey from his 
home, but now the fourth commandment is not 
allowed to stand in the way of travelling, if it is 
found necessary. The changes are not due to any 
lack of spiritual interest on the part of this select 
race, but rather to the progressive revelation 
which God makes through the hearts of his faith¬ 
ful followers. The changes are made according 
to the will of God worked out by the Children of 
Israel. This is clear evidence that the Sabbath, 
so far as the Jews are concerned, can be and has 
been changed to correspond to the wants of 
society. The words to the Saturdarians, bearing 
on the Sabbath are applicable here. So the reader 
is directed to the first section of this chapter 
where the matter referred to is to be found. 

But Christians have a day, too, on which they 


328 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

rest from labor for the purpose of worshipping 
the true and living God. True it is on a different 
day, but it is as near the ancient Jewish Sabbath 
as that of the Jews at present. Both Jews and 
Christians are earnestly striving to promote the 
best interests of the kingdom of God. It certainly 
is not for the public good, to have two different 
days in the w^eek for rest and worship. This 
would lead to the desecration of both days by the 
irreligious. Why not unite together in observing 
one day as a special religious day unto the Lord 
God of Israel ? It would be better for the people 
and better for the religion to settle upon one day 
and all worship the same day. If it is for the 
best good then it is the will of God. The diffi¬ 
culty here would be on the selection of a day. It 
would be literally impossible to get all Christians 
to accept any other day than Sunday which is the 
resurrection day of Christ. There is no other day 
suitable. No adequate reason can be given for 
any other, as the Jewish day is limited to one 
tribe of people and does not correspond to what it 
was in earlier times. Majorities rule in this coun¬ 
try, so the wish of a majority of about ninety-nine 
one-hundredths ought to prevail with reasonable 
people in a matter of this kind. It is true the 
Jew may think that the Christian might adopt his 


Appeal for Concerted Action. 329 

day, the day that “ The Lord thy God brought 
thee out thence through a mighty hand and a 
stretched out arm: therefore, the Lord thy God 
commanded thee to keep the Sabbath Day.” But 
what day is that ? No one can tell. The Christian’s 
worship day is as near the original Sabbath day as 
the present Jewish Sabbath. It is encouraging to 
see the Jews in some places closing up their shops 
on the Lord’s Day, and devoting the time to divine 
worship. It is not unreasonable to kindly request 
the faithful Jew to observe the day that nearly all 
civilized nations hold as sacred. From the earliest 
history of this great people, their guiding principle 
was the will of God. It evidently is not the will of 
God to have things as they are now, for in division 
there is loss of energy, power and progress. 
What would be lost by substituting one day for 
another? The same number of hours would be 
devoted to the worship of God on either day. No 
one doubts that God wishes for unity in a worship 
day. Love is the essence of the Jews’ religion, 
and they cannot show this love more effectually 
than by adopting a common day of worship, thus 
subserving the public good. Christ was a Jew, 
and Christianity was the rich, ripe fruit of Juda¬ 
ism. Christianity is the spiritualized part of 
Judaism. Christ’s resurrection demonstrated the 


330 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

resurrection of humanity. The day would have 
significance to all, and the Jew especially would 
not be inconsistent by meeting that day for wor¬ 
ship, for Christ was of his race. To-day the Jew 
and the Christian separately go to the house of 
the Lord, whether church or synagogue, for the 
express purpose of worshipping the God of Abra¬ 
ham, Isaac, and Jacob. On departing, they ex¬ 
perience the same results. For the Jew to adopt 
the worship day of all Christendom is no compro¬ 
mise on his part as it would be a demonstration of 
love for humanity. It certainly would accomplish 
greater good. To do this would be an act of 
righteousness in perfect accord with the spirit and 
teachings of Moses and the prophets. 

Concerning Christians. 

Consistency coupled with zeal and devotion, is 
necessary for the satisfactory solution of the Sun¬ 
day problem. Inconsistency is shown in various 
ways. Much injury has been wrought by some 
religious bodies observing the day in the forenoon 
at divine services, and spending the afternoon as 
if it were a holiday. It is a flagrant misconcep¬ 
tion of the day to think, that the time we spend 
in Church only is holy. The day from midnight 
till midnight is the resurrection day. 


Appeal for Concerted Action . 331 

Again care should be used in allowing others 
the same rights that we demand for ourselves. 
If we put on extra trains for camp-meetings, why 
not allow others the same privilege for their 
special meetings, whatever they may be? If we 
allow ice cream, soft drinks and confectionery to 
be sold at such religious gatherings on Sunday, 
why not allow others the same rights? If resolu¬ 
tions are adopted at religious meetings bearing on 
certain things on the worship day of the Chris¬ 
tian, caution must be used not to indulge in the 
same things that were prohibited in others. All 
Christians must show that they will expect no 
more of others than they are willing to observe 
themselves. Business, travelling, excursioning, 
should be left till another time. The true dis¬ 
ciple of Jesus should pause and seriously consider 
before indulging in those things that are question¬ 
able on the Day of the Lord. Business men who 
are members of Christian Churches, ought never 
to compel a railway company to handle their 
goods on the day of rest unless they are driven 
to it under peculiar and urgent circumstances. 
The faithful adherent of the Christian Church 
when he goes to his summer resort, will not spend 
the Lord’s Day in driving around and other pas¬ 
times of similar sort, and totally absenting him- 


332 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

self from Church. He will be the same Christian 
abroad as well as at home, attending divine ser¬ 
vice and ordering his conduct as though he were 
in his own community. The day should be used 
for the purpose originally intended. It is a day 
designed to cultivate the relations between the 
creature and the Creator, to bring into more har¬ 
monious feelings the Infinite Father and his chil¬ 
dren, to unite the human with the divine. No time 
of the Lord’s Day ought to be used in devouring 
light and sensational literature, but instead read 
that which counts for morals and manhood. 

Concerning the Non-Church Member. 

No clear thinking person can fail to notice the 
benefits derived from a religion based on “ love to 
God and love to man,” as the essential principle. 
The opposition that has been shown to religion 
was not against its fundamental factor, but rather 
its perversion. Man is so constituted that he 
must have a religion of some kind to satisfy the 
cravings of his inner nature. A more hopeless 
task was never undertaken, than the attempt to 
destroy religion from among the human family. 
It is not a question of religion and no religion, 
but what religion; for as long as man has reason 
he will have a religion of some kind. As soon as 


Appeal for Concerted Action. 333 

man commenced to think, he commenced to seek 
for the Infinite Causation of all things, from 
which developed all religious systems. Agnosti¬ 
cism no doubt exists in our midst hut it is the 
result principally of prejudice and feeling, rather 
than of reason. It comes from a perversion of 
the reason, for as we have a limited consciousness, 
there must he of necessity an unlimited conscious¬ 
ness, which we call God. The scientist cannot 
commence his work without postulating the intel¬ 
ligibility of the universe, which implies an intelli¬ 
gent force back of it. 

No intelligent person need be told the advan¬ 
tages of a religion based upon the spirit and teach¬ 
ings of Christ. To maintain it in its highest 
degree, it is reasonable and necessary, that a cer¬ 
tain time be set apart to be devoted exclusively 
to religious exercises. This is one purpose of the 
Lord’s Day. It not only gives the weary toiler 
rest from his labor, but puts time at his disposal 
for the tuning of his soul so that it may vibrate 
in happy harmony with that of the great Infinite. 
It is the stopping place in the business life of the 
nation. It is a day to remove the rust of the 
week. When we consider the keen competition 
of business and the tremendous strain upon the 
nervous system, nothing could be more justifiable 


334 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

than a national rest day to turn men’s minds to 
higher things. One day in the week affords 
earth’s toilers time to ponder, meditate, and solve 
the problems of life and destiny. 

The purpose of the Lord’s Day is to advance 
the moral and spiritual welfare of the race; and 
as such it becomes the duty of every true citizen 
of our country to do the utmost in his power 
to maintain its observance. As it is a blessing to 
the country it is the duty of the true citizen to 
support this institution. It aims to lift mankind, 
purify the public morals, drive away ignorance, 
and assist in the faithful performance of our 
duties to God and to man. The Lord’s Day is 
such an institution, and as such all who are not 
members of any Church are expected to give their 
hearty co-operation for the preservation of this 
humanitarian and religious institution. 


The Ideal Lord's Lay. 


835 


CHAPTER XVI. 

THE IDEAL LORD’S DAY. 

A work of this kind would be incomplete 
did it not present a model Sunday for devoted 
Christians. Of course people situated differently 
could not keep it alike in all its details. How¬ 
ever an ideal in its principal features could only 
be presented. It must not be forgotten that 
if we simply rest, we are not keeping the 
Lord’s Day. It is a day devoted to religious 
uses, and if not observed this way is not observed 
at all. 

We ought to start the day as early as any other 
day. It is only the force of habit that causes so 
many to remain in bed until the morning hours 
are past, and most of the forenoon wasted forever. 
As it is a joy day it should be commenced in that 
spirit. Such exercises as singing, music, religious 
devotions and communion with the Author of all, 
are exercises that should not be left out of the 
day’s duties. To be “ in the spirit on the Lord’s 


336 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

Day ” is the highest worship and the best observ¬ 
ance of the day. 

This is a day in which the study of the Scrip¬ 
tures should form an essential part of the exer¬ 
cises of the day. One also requires time for 
reflection, meditation, self examination, together 
with private devotion. 

Attendance upon divine service on the Lord’s 
Day is imperative upon the Christian. The in¬ 
spiring environment, the touching words of truth, 
the helpful influences of others, and the power of 
the Divine Spirit on the heart in response to wor¬ 
ship, cannot fail to ennoble the soul, lighten life’s 
cares, stimulate the hopes, produce a happier 
frame of mind, and transform the soul into the 
divine likeness. The result is better husbands, 
better wives, better fathers, better mothers, better 
children, better neighbors and better friends. 
Church services or preaching services are an indis¬ 
pensable adjunct of the Lord’s Day; and no 
Christian can afford to miss the benefits of the 
public service on Sunday. 

The day affords an excellent opportunity to 
feed and stimulate the mind by healthy devotional 
literature. To-day books and magazines and 
religious papers will furnish abundant material 
for the needs of all. 


The Ideal Lord's Day . 


33T 


Physical exercise upon the Lord’s Day is not 
to be entirely neglected. We cannot worship all 
the time. Our natures demand physical exercise 
every day to maintain a certain degree of health¬ 
fulness. It must not be violent, but mild and 
regular. Such action that will mildly stimulate 
the circulation of the blood, cannot be looked 
upon as any other than a blessing. A walk or a 
drive, etc., might fit us better for the beginning 
of the next week’s work than by complete cessa¬ 
tion of action. 

It is also a day in which there is an opportunity 
to visit the sick, poor, and the unfortunate. It is 
the Lord’s Day and this joy must be perpetuated 
in the lives of others, by carrying it into the 
homes of the neglected and the suffering. The 
Master went about doing good, and that is what 
his followers are to do at least on that day that is 
specially his. 

Furthermore, it is a day when we might with 
profit visit the library, art rooms, museums, or 
any other place where instruction, information, or 
inspiration can be gained. Surely no thinking 
person can visit such institutions without gaining 
a little help, a little joy, a little more pleasure. 
To the pure thinking person, such a visit certainly 
touches the higher self. Of course it may be 


338 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

objected that he ought to be at home attending 
to his devotions. Human nature is so constructed 
that it can only endure work, or pleasure but a 
very limited time, without requiring change. So 
such diversions on Sunday all contribute to the 
great purpose of the day. 


Summary and Conclusion . 


339 


CHAPTER XVII. 

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION. 

Summarizing the foregoing pages we have the 
following outline: 

The holy day was an established institution in 
prehistoric times by peoples scattered the world 
over. It first originated from moon worship. 
Nature-worship was the earliest form of worship 
apart from fetichism, and the moon took prece¬ 
dence of all other objects of nature. Why the sev¬ 
enth day was chosen rather than the tenth as a 
sacred day, was due to the new phase of the moon 
appearing on the average every seventh day. The 
four different shapes of the moon — new moon, 
half moon, full moon, and the reversed half moon 
— called out special devotions on the particular 
days on which they first appeared and these devel¬ 
oped into sacred days. The mind identified the 
moon with the Great Cause because of its sim¬ 
ilarity to a living being, they supposing the gods 
looked like themselves. Ordinary work was 


340 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

avoided, for fear of arousing the wrath of the 
patron god. Though work was prohibited, yet 
feasting and merry-making were perfectly legiti¬ 
mate with them, and constituted the essential 
feature of the day. It was an unlucky day 
among all primitive peoples. Bad luck occurred 
only when the god was angered by doing ordinary 
work on that day. 

All nations with whom the Hebrews came in 
contact observed this ancient custom. Israel from 
their intimate relation with the Canaanites, Baby¬ 
lonians, and others, fell into the way of this cus¬ 
tom, and finally recast it into a mould of their 
own. In the early part of Israel’s career, the 
"holy day was observed much like that of sur¬ 
rounding peoples. It was kept on the seventh 
day of the moon, and had the spirit of an atone¬ 
ment day. About the middle of the ninth cen¬ 
tury before Christ, in the earliest written code of 
laws for Israel, there is a simple exhortation to 
keep the Seventh Day, especially in plowing time 
and harvest time. A little later another caution¬ 
ary direction is given similar to the preceding. 
Still later, just before the Exile, the People’s 
Code was promulgated, which requested them to 
keep the Sabbath because God led them out of 
Egypt. It is yet man’s day with but little empha- 


Summary and Conclusion . 


341 


sis placed upon its observance. No penalty is yet 
attached to the violation of the Seventh Day. 
During the first part of the Exile, Ezekiel com¬ 
mands them in a law to keep the Sabbath as it 
is a sign between God and Israel. Lastly, the 
Priestly Code was given to the Jews after their 
return from Captivity. This Code commanded 
them to keep holy the Sabbath because God 
rested the Seventh Day from his creative work. 
The Jewish Sabbath was now perfected. It is 
no longer man’s day, but rather God’s day. It 
was now the seventh day of time instead of the 
seventh day of the moon, as before the Exile. It 
was an unqualified rest-day, rest being the essen¬ 
tial feature of the day. No manner of work 
whether of man or beast was to be allowed; not 
even the ordinary household duty of lighting a 
fire was to be tolerated on the holy Sabbath. The 
land even had to rest in honor of God every seven 
years. The holy day received a new name now. 
It is called a Sabbath which is the Hebrew word 
for rest. It had no relation to the Babylon Sabat- 
tum, for that was a day to appease the anger of 
the gods. In this period the Sabbath for the first 
time had a penalty attached to its violation. It 
meant death to the one who transgressed the 
bounds of the holy day. 


342 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

The new moon was kept in the same manner as 
the Sabbath before the Israelites were carried away 
to Babylon, but after that event, the moon lost 
this distinction and only the Sabbath was kept 
sacred. 

The Sabbath continued to be hedged about with 
restrictions until it developed into the Rabbinical 
Sabbath, which was in existence in New Testa¬ 
ment times. 

The Sabbath was not to last forever. It was 
not designed to last longer than the other elements 
of the Jewish law. Almost every institution of 
Judaism has a “ statute forever throughout your 
generations ” attached to it as well as the Sabbath. 
The Passover, feast of unleavened bread, burnt 
offerings, oil for lamps, etc., were commanded to 
be observed forever. This word forever must be 
taken in the sense of indefinite time. Because a 
law or commandment appears in a decalogue does 
not imply its eternal validity. If they are binding 
forever in the “ E ” decalogue 1 they are also bind¬ 
ing in the “ J ” decalogue, 2 for they were both 
written on tables of stone at the direction of God. 
Jeremiah prophesied of a time when the law should 
be written on the mind and heart which signified 
the abolition of the law. The declaration of 
1 Ex. xx. 3-17. 2 Ex. xxxiv. 14-26. 


Summary and Conclusion . 343 

Christ “ Worship the Father in spirit and truth ” 
did away forever with holy places and times. 
This supplemented by “My Father worketh hith¬ 
erto [on the Sabbath] and 1 work,” makes clear 
the position he took towards the Sabbath as a 
ceremonial day. 

The Sabbatic commandment is not a moral law 
for that implies a relation between human beings. 
Morality is determined by the nature of things, 
but the Sabbath is a memorial of God’s rest day. 
If he had rested the tenth day then we would 
have had a tenth day Sabbath, so the seventh day 
rest cannot be an eternal moral principle. Christ 
could not say “ the Sabbath was made for man,” 
and that he was “ Lord of the Sabbath ” if it were 
an unchangeable moral law. The Sabbath law is 
a ceremonial law and all that was demanded of 
the Israelites was to simply rest. 

A new dispensation was inaugurated when 
Christ rose from the dead and accomplished his 
redemptive work. This was to be the reign of 
the Holy Spirit, in which all were to be led and 
guided by him in all things. All places and all 
times were now to be sacred. There was hence¬ 
forth to be a perpetual Sabbath rest in Christ. 
The old Jewish Sabbath had finished its mission 
when Christ rose from the dead. 


344 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday . 

The resurrection day brought too much joy to 
be soon forgotten, so all Jews and Gentiles, hon¬ 
ored the day, not as a sacred but as a memorial 
day. It was not long after Christ ascended that a 
great conflict arose between the Jews and the 
Gentiles about the keeping of the Mosaic law. 
A Council was finally called at Jerusalem to settle 
the matter. This Council met in the year A.D. 54 
and consisted of the apostles and elders at Jerusa¬ 
lem. They decided that the Gentiles be required 
to observe only four things: “ To abstain from 
meats offered to idols, from blood, from things 
strangled, and from fornication.” The action of 
this Council was very important, as it liberated the 
Gentiles for all time to come from the bondage of 
the Mosaic law. Holy days or Sabbath days were 
not exacted of the Gentiles after this decision. 
The Jew could observe any one point of the law 
or the whole of it if he chose, but it was not 
officially required of him. The Gentiles continued 
to exclusively observe the resurrection day of 
Christ though work at this time was not pro¬ 
hibited. There was no specially sacred day in the 
Christian Church for some time after the Council 
of Jerusalem. As time passed away the memory 
of Christ grew dearer and the necessity of wor¬ 
ship grew clearer, so a tendency towards a worship 


Summary and Conclusion . 


345 


day commenced to manifest itself. Towards the 
end of Paul’s career a worship day is plainly dis¬ 
cerned. This day has no relation to the Sabbath. 
It is an entirely new institution belonging to a new 
dispensation. Its spirit, its purpose, and its 
duties were different from the old Jewish Sabbath. 
The Lord’s day cannot be called a Sabbath unless 
we change the meaning of the Sabbath which it 
did not have before. 

The authority of the Lord’s Day is not based on 
a commandment, for we are not under law now, 
but it is based on the will of God. This is re¬ 
flected through: (1) the Apostles, (2) apostolic 
Church fathers and Church councils, (3) carefully 
sifted experience, (4) the dictates of reason. No 
greater authority could be furnished than that of 
the above fourfold testimony. The fourth com¬ 
mandment cannot be quoted as an authority for the 
Lord’s Day but if modified may be taken as a 
statement expressing the will of God concerning 
the Lord’s Day. 

The practice of Lord’s Day keeping was made a 
law of the state in a.d. 321 under Constantine, 
though all were not required to rest from labor in 
the country. The first lawgiving complete rest 
from ordinary labor was made by the Council of 
Orleans in the year A.D. 538. The Church in time 


346 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

multiplied many holy days which were put on a 
level with the Lord’s Day. In the dark ages the ob¬ 
ligation to observe Sunday was found in the voice 
of the Church. It then became a church day in 
the same sense as the other holy days. As they 
became burdened with holy days they could not 
be kept with a reasonable degree of reverence, so 
the Lord’s Day was kept but little better than a 
week day. This produced a reaction in the di¬ 
rection of the Jewish Sabbath. In order to make 
prominent some holy days of Christianity, they 
were related to certain Jewish institutions. The 
Reformers, when they repudiated the authority of 
the Church and pope, had to seek for a warrant in 
the Bible to sustain the Lord’s Day. Then the 
Lord’s Day was identified with the Jewish Sabbath 
and depended on the fourth commandment for its 
authority. This was first pointed out by St. Ber¬ 
nard in the twelfth century and about the same 
time the term “ Christian Sabbath ” was coined 
and applied to Sunday. This idea was elaborated 
by Nicholas Bownd, and his work created a tre¬ 
mendous effect in that direction. It was quickly 
seized upon by the reformers. The Puritans 
adopted and held vigorously to it, and England, 
Holland, and latterly America, became permeated 
with its views. Some Reformers still held that 


Summary and Conclusion. 347 

the Lord’s Day was a Church day and so these 
two lines of thought still exist on the European 
continent to-day, and probably account for the 
difference in the way in which the day is kept. 

But all did not content themselves with calling 
the Lord’s Day a Sabbath, basing it on the fourth 
commandment, but some went so far as to say that 
the Seventh Day (Saturday) was the Sabbath. 
The popular conception of the change of the day 
from the Sabbath to the Lord’s Day, was not 
advanced till about twelve centuries after the 
Christian era. It is an error and misconception 
due to the effort to make the obligation of the 
Lord’s Day rest upon the Bible in contrast to the 
pope instead of the Holy Spirit or will of God. 
Thus we have three kinds of sacred days — the 
Seventh Day of the Heathen characterized by a 
feast, the Seventh Day of the Hebrews char¬ 
acterized by a rest and the Seventh Day of Chris¬ 
tians characterized by worship . 

As the Lord’s Day is a worship day the cri¬ 
terion of what is allowable is this: Does it inter¬ 
fere with the favorable conditions of worship ? This 
touchstone applied to all disputed Sunday ques¬ 
tions will leave but few if any whose propriety 
cannot be determined. 

The state has the right to enforce Sunday law, 


348 Scientific Basis of Sabbath and Sunday. 

not simply to make men religious by law, but to 
protect the right of those who have religious con¬ 
victions and for the general good of the state. 

Much more good will be accomplished when all 
denominations are united together on the same 
day. There is now great need of clear views on 
the nature and obligation of the Lord’s Day and 
these views should be pushed with persistency. 

In these extremely practical times, amid the 
hurry and bustle of business, how needful it is to 
use the day purely for meditation, worship, and 
the cultivation of our higher nature. It is our 
training day due to human weakness. As the 
Jewish Sabbath was a training day to lead to 
Christ, so the Lord’s Day is a training day to lead 
to the perfect man. A time may come when Sun¬ 
day may not be needed, for every day will be a 
Lord’s Day, in which all will dwell fully in the 
spirit. If men were angels we would need no 
laws but as we have not attained this blessed con¬ 
dition, let the day be observed in a becoming way, 
as it was first designed to be used. It becomes 
the part of a Christian to set the best example of 
the faithful occupation of the day, letting it serve 
as an ideal for others. Use every means by pre¬ 
cept and practice that will promote the object of 
the Lord’s Day, which is to produce a spiritual and 


Summary and Conclusion. 349 

Christlike man. Enforce the Sunday laws by 
public opinion, but use moderation in resorting to 
legal enforcement. Only use the law as a last 
resort, and that only when the community is 
practically a unit in its judgment of the justice of 
the case. The moral and spiritual improvement 
is to be constantly kept in view. Little is to be 
accomplished by arbitrarily forcing a community 
low in morals to rest on Sunday. Stir up and lift 
up the moral life and insist upon a due observance 
of the Lord’s Day because of the beneficent effect 
upon the people. Let every effort be put forth 
to make it a truly Lord’s Day. Ordinary work is 
to be put aside and the doing good and the re¬ 
ceiving good through worship shall constitute our 
employment on the joyful resurrection day. 
Above all we are to be “ in the Spirit on the 
Lord’s Day.” This is the truest worship and 
the most perfect fulfilment of the demands of the 
day. May this celestial bud soon bloom forth and 
inaugurate the age when all days shall be Lord’s 
Days and God’s will be done on earth as it is in 
heaven. 

“ Blest day of God most calm, most bright, 

The first and best of days ; 

The laborer’s rest, the saint’s delight, 

The day of prayer and praise.” 






INDEX 


A. 

Accadian, 6,145 
Africa, 11 

Alphonsus Petros, 260 
Amusements, 293 
Anatolius, 139 
Aquinas Thomas, 260 
Arabs, 23, 30 
Ararat, 88 
Archaeology, 6, 27 
Aretius, 10 
Aristides, 137 
Assur-bani-pal, 4 
Assyrians, 4, 51, 115 
Astarte, 204 
Athanasius, 150 

B. 

Babylonians, 6, 20, 51, 54, 55, 111 
130, 148 
Bacon, 60 
Balawat, 51 

Baltimore, Council of, 270 
Bardesanes, 139 
Barnabas, 135, 149 
Baseball, 294 
Bechuanas, 41 
Bernard, St., 260 
Bicycling, Sunday, 299 
Boating, Sunday, 299 
Borneo, 20 
Boscawen, 5 
Bownd, Nicolas, 268 
Briggs, 60 


Brinton, 205 
Buddhists, 35, 42 
Burmese, 45 

C. 

Calends, 32, 43 
Canaanites, 91, 111, 214 
Captivity, 63, 65, 100, 105 
Cars, Sunday, 300 
Celtic, 39 
Chaldean, 14 
Chemosh, 82 
China, 9, 28, 30 
Circumcision, 52, 120, 187 
Clement of Alexandria, 139 
Code, Priestly, 107, 117 
Congoese, 23 

Constitutions, Apostolical, 138, 
250 

Constantine, 145,146, 251, 255 

Cornell, 55 

Cort, 34 

Cranmer, 266 

Crees, 20 

Creichton, 30 

Cuneiform, 4 

Cyril of Jerusalem, 151 

D. 

Decalogue, 165,194, 198 
Dedication, Feast of, 216 
Deuteronomic, 61 
Diagrams, 9 
Diocletian, 145 


351 




352 Index. 


Dionysius, 138 
Driver, 60 
Druids, 38 
Dunham, 271 

E. 

Ebionites, 250 
Egyptian, 7, 8, 27, 112 
Elohim, 58 
Elvira, 146 
Elul, 4 

Epiplianes, Antiochus, 93 
Eusebius, 141 

Exile, 94, 99, 103, 104, 107, 111, 114 
Ezekiel, 53, 62, 80, 97, 116 
Ezra, 107 

F. 

Fuli-he, 9 

Fathers, Ante-Nicene, 134 
Fishing, Sunday, 299 

G. 

Galen, 90 
Gallenius, 145 
Garcilasso, 34 
Gideon,92 
Golf, Sunday, 296 
Goodwin, 8 
Gordon, 84 
Greeks, 10, 32, 33 

H. 

Hadley, 11 
Harley, 38 
Harranians, 33 
Hawaiians, 38 
Hebrews, 47 
Hesiod, 33 
Hessey, 150 
Hezekiah, 93 
Hilprecht, 7 
Hosea, 64 

Hunting, Sunday, 299 

I. 

Ides, 31, 43 
Idolatry, 93, 95 


Ignatius, 135 
India, 10 

Irenaeus, 138, 149 
Istar,5 

J. 

Jastrow, 102,109, 115 
Javanese, 42 
Jehoash,113 
Jeremiah, 93, 94 
Jerusalem, Council, 179 
Jews, 324 
Josephus, 10 
Josiah, 93 
Jupiter, 148 

Justin Martyr, 137,149, 223 

K. 

Keary, 6 
Koran, 195 
Kuenen, 60 

L>. 

Lamaism, 39 
Laos, 11 

Leo Pliilosophus, 259 
Lord’s Day, nature of, 221 
authority, 235 
development, 245 
ideal, 335 

relation to Sabbath, 143 
Luther, Martin, 264 
Lyons, Synod of, 261 

M. 

Macon, 258 
Madgascar, 23, 41 
Mails, Sunday, 291 
Manasseh, 93 
Mars, 148 
Mendis, 41 
Mercury, 148 
Merodach, 4, 5 
Mexicans, 42 
Micah, 92 
Mileto, 138 
Mohammed, 11 



Index, 


Moon, full, 19, 24, 29, 32, 41, 42, 96, 
97, 102 

new, 19, 25, 29, 32, 41, 95, 102 
Moon-worship, 17, 31, 102 
Montefiore, 107, 108 
Muller, Max, 82 
Mumford, Stephen, 291 

N. 

Nebuchadrezzar, 80 
Newspaper, Sunday, 277 
Nice, Council, 224, 227, 253 
Nineveh, 4, 6, 27 
Nones, 31, 43 

O. 

Oahspe, 36 
Olivet, 88 

Orleans, Council of, 225, 257 
Origen, 140 
Osiris, 214 

P. 

Passover, 97, 103, 120, 140 
Papago, 20 
Peet, 34 
Pegu, 11 
Pentateuch, 57 
Pentecost, 97, 103, 132, 140 
Peruvians, 12, 34 
Peter of Alexandria, 141 
Petrie, 6 
Philo, 12 

Phoenicians, 10, 30, 204 
Picnic, Sunday, 297 
Pliny, 136 
Polychrome, 59 
Pompey, 118 
Porphyry, 10 
Preston, 271 
Proctor, 24, 120 
Purim, 216 

R. 

Railroading, Sunday, 286 
Rassam, 51 
Ragozin, 6 


Records, 7, 25 
Renan, 214 

Resurrection, 125,127,140 
Riding, Sunday, 299 
Romans, 10 

S. 

Sabaeans, 29 
Sabattum, 115 

Sabbath, Heathen, traces of, 3 
origin, 13 
nature of, 40 
Jewish, origin of, 57 
nature of, 111 
duration of, 120 
relation to Lord’s Hay, 143 
Christ’s attitude to, 155 
abolished, 167 
Sargon,6 

Saturdarian, 87, 317 
Saturn, 8, 31, 147,148 
Senegambia, 41 
Serpent, 90 
Shunamite, 100 
Siam, 242 
Slavonians, 11 
Smyth, 205 
Sofalese, 11 
Solon, 10 
Spiers, 128 
Suhusius, 10 

T. 

Talmud, 88, 113 
Tertullian, 139 
Theatre, Sunday, 298 
Theodosius, 256 
Thessalonica, 131 
Tirin, 101 
Toledo, 256 
Tonquinese, 42 
Toy, 102, 214 
Trajan, 136 
Tribes, ten, 92 

U. 

Ur, 50 




354 


Index , 


v. 

Valens, 255 
Valentinian, 255 
Vedism, 101 
Venus, 148 
Victorinus, 140, 149 

W. 

Week, 13 
Whateley, 199 
Wilson, 29 


Y. 

Yahweh, 58,105 
Yao, 9 

Z. 

Zarpanit, 4 
Zend Avesta, 195 
Zoroastrianism, 101 







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